Seunghwan helped lay bricks for the thermal mass heater and did a coat of lime wash on the exterior walls.
I hung out with Louie, took pictures, harvested shitake mushrooms and did some wild herb foraging for our lunch salad. Louie enjoyed stretching out on the forest floor and observing the shifting bamboo canopy.
Our hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Kim prefer to go by the nicknames Fish and Fat Dog respectively. They are wonderful soulful people interested in starting a community to teach about simple living. Jangheung is the perfect spot for this as it's already been designated a slow city. http://cittaslow.kr/new/eng_sub01_01_01.htmlme
So far they have completed their own family home which is steel frame, earth bag walls loft style building using many reused materials. and which they say was their first work of art. indeed it is.
oops...should have taken more pics of the main house.
They have also begun a round, wood frame earth bag common room just across from the main house that still needs a last coat of cob on the exterior and interior finishing...floor...rocket stove heating. It's going to be beautiful when it's done. Fat dog, Louie and I had a cup of tea on the built in earth bag bench and talked about flowers. again..too caught up in the moment for pictures.
The building just up the hill that we came to help with will eventually house volunteers. Wood frame, light straw clay walls, thermal mass heating in walls and floors. Lucky volunteers...this is going to be one cozy spot.
They also work on their lovely garden, and try to incorporate permaculture techniques where they can including what looked like a grey water system for watering. Behind the main house is a row of shitake inoculated logs that will produce for 5 years! yum!
Our hosts were so generous to have us stay when they were so busy preparing for a group of architecture students coming for a workshop the next day. they fed us fresh organic food and interesting conversation about natural building, reconnecting with nature, coffee, anarchy and love. Because the was no room at their place we stayed at a nearby building that was formerly an elementary school but that is now used to teach herbal medicine workshops. it was COLD! but we were brought new radiant heat technology to keep us warm. it was a paper thin sheet of plastic that you unroll and plug in. voila! instant portable ondol!
It felt so good to be out of the city and to wake up with the mountains, unobstructed. space.
We will definitely be returning here*
Lunch at the build site: seafood stew, rice and namul.
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