The Auto-Sustainable Native American Housing

Yeimy Davis

Salt Lake Community College

The auto-sustainable Native American Housing.

In an economy where housing prices are crashing and mortgages are getting ever more difficult

to procure, the housing building method of The Ancient Native American may be the solution or

the modern shipping containers housing. Install a solar/wind hybrid system making you

completely energy-efficient and energy-independent.

Facts about Native American People

Income and Poverty

$35,310 the median household income of single-race American Indian and Alaska Native

households in 2012. This compares with $51,371 for the nation as a whole.

Source: 2012 American Community Survey. 29.1% the percent of single-race American Indians

and Alaska Natives that were in poverty in 2012, the highest rate of any race group. For the

nation as a whole, the poverty rate was 15.9 percent.

Housing

54.0% the percentage of single-race American Indian and Alaska Native householders who

owned their own home in 2012. This is compared with 63.9 percent of the overall population.

The auto-sustainable housing.

The term "auto-sustainable” I am using it to describe those structures which actively provide a

service, resource, or tangible, measurable benefit to the user, especially those lacking

municipal/State services. By providing a tangible service at the time, the construction effectively

repays the investment. The level of "Auto" in construction depends on how many and how

different technologies are integrated. I will focus on Water, Energy and Sanitation.

The importance of intelligent social housing

The lack and deficiency of social housing is a major barrier to human development for the Native

American People and worldwide. Beyond simply the absence of a minimum shelter, many

different vectors of poverty, disease and poverty are directly related to the poor quality of most

housing in the poorest population.

Native American Housing

Tepees are pointed tent-like American Indian houses, not to be confused with wigwams, which

are small rounded cone shaped structures with an arched roof made of wooden frames that are

covered with woven mats and sheets of birch bark which are held in place by ropes or strips of

wood.

The Pictures of Native Americans in this section provide an opportunity to study the differences

between the homes and shelters used by the different tribes of Native Americans (Picture1).

The life styles of Native Americans ranged from nomadic, semi-nomadic to static and their

homes reflected their way of life. The massive area of the United States incorporates many

different types of climate and land and the Native American houses, homes and shelters were

dictated by the natural raw materials available to the Indians in the areas they inhabited. The

weather and the changing seasons also affected their way of life at different times of the year.

The Native American houses and homes therefore included a huge variety of different styles.

The Native American Indians who lived on the borders of the State often reflected two different

types of houses, shelters and homes which suited their lifestyles which changed according to area

and season.

The different types of Native American homes and shelters included tepees, wigwams, brush

shelters, wickiups, chickees (stilt houses), earthen houses, hogans, earth lodges, pit houses,

longhouses, adobe houses, pueblos, asi wattle and daub, grass houses and plankhouses. The most

ancient of the Native American civilisations also include the houses of homes of the indigenous

people referred to as cliff dwellers and mound builders Earth Homes

Some Plains people were not hunters and gatherers. They were farmers. They lived in villages.

They lived in round earth lodges.

These were huge things. Some were 40 feet in diameter and about 15 feet high.

They were earthy, but warm in the winter and cool in the summer. These were fixed structures.

Adobe Pueblo the Pueblo, were cliff dwellers. They built homes of adobe brick on cliffs and on

mesas in the southwest.

Homes were stacked one on top of the other, like an apartment complex. Sometimes they were

stacked four high. Those who had homes on the ground floor could simply walk up to their door.

Others had to climb ladders to reach their front door.

Each floor of homes had a walkway that ran in front of many doorways. Once you reached the

next level up, if that was your floor, you used the walkway to reach your front door. If you

needed to go higher, you found a ladder and climbed to the next level.

Adobe, is defined in the current International Building Codes, used across the United States.

Individual states, such as New Mexico, Arizona and California, modify this code to fit their

building practices. Pressed Block and Rammed Earth are generally included in these codes,

which can also be modified by individual counties and cities. Adobe was often a ‘sleeper’ in

previous codes, but with the new interest in green building, bureaucrats and legislators are eager

to bring it forward and work is underway to write it into ASTM standards.

So yes, you can do it, legally speaking. In areas without codes, you have more freedom, but you

should still build to a recognized standard. If your building department has little experience with

earth walls, they may require that your plans be Stamped by a licensed engineer or

architect. In many areas of the Southwest, prescribed codes allow you to build to a standard,

without a professional stamp. This is the case in Arizona and New Mexico, and portions of Utah,

and Colorado. At present, Texas has few restrictive codes, and California, the most restrictions.

The climate:

Most of us visualize adobe in dry, desert-like climates.

In the U.S., most earth-building does take place in the Southwest, where a combination of

Native American and Hispanic influences have fortified these ancient, yet contemporary building

arts. However Rammed Earth has been practiced in wetter climates.

Adobe construction, in combination with good passive solar design, makes for an effective

energy-saving solution in cold winter areas. The use of high-mass walls, insulation and a large

south solar aperture, can cut energy use in January by 60% or more. High-mass earth walls also

cut cooling costs in hot desert locales. Earth walls allow you to buy smaller heating and cooling

units and run them for shorter periods of time- a big defense against today's escalating energy

costs. The old adobe saying "cooler in summer and warmer in winter" has some basis in truth.

What will it cost?

Adobe and rammed earth are do-it-yourself materials, very forgiving to the novice, and very

green for the environment. There are codes, so we must build to a standard. And we have

lifestyle expectations.

Most who want a nice adobe or rammed earth home have higher artistic expectations but for the

porpoise of this project, we are looking for a functional and comfortable home. If your

expectations are high, expect to pay more. If you can be happy with a smaller, economy adobe.

Owner builders typically cut costs by 50%.

Costs for owner-built projects start at a low of $45 per square foot, using salvaged and saved

materials, a simple design and a few custom touches. As one ads features, a more realistic figure

might be $65.

Rock

Building with rock dates back to the beginning of human history. Many cultures have left

durable evidence of their fine craftsmanship with stone masonry. It should not be surprising that

such an abundant, indigenous, long-lasting and useful material would be utilized by our

forebears. What is surprising is that it is not used more now. I suppose that this is because it isn't

delivered to the construction site in perfectly rectangular blocks that can be quickly stacked into

straight walls. One basic tenet is to overlap the rocks as much as possible, as one would do with

laying bricks. This creates a strong wall that resists cracking along weak seam lines. Another

good practice is to keep the very largest rocks toward the bottom of the structure. Every rock

mason has his individual style, almost a signature.

Rocks are particularly suitable in areas where thermal mass is desired, since they can hold their

temperature very well. This means that rock walls in the interior of a building, especially where

they will be struck by sunlight, can serve to store heat or moderate temperature fluctuations. If

used as an exterior wall, rocks should be insulated from the inside to keep them from bleeding

heat or cold in either direction.

Modern Solution

Energy, Advantages of Solar Energy

Solar Panel: A solar panel 150 Watts, enough to feed seven LED bulbs, water pump, a computer

and a television. Cost $400 to$1500.

Why consume energy when you can generate energy? With a solar system, you can:

Reduce operation costs and save on electricity with a solar system for your home save money on

your electric bill or better no more electric bills.

Solar system at home Increase your home's value.

Lock-in energy costs for years with a solar system for your home Decrease your carbon footprint

The average return on investment on a solar system is between eight and 10 percent—greater

than a savings account

All by producing clean, cost-efficient energy harnessed by the sun.

Wood Stove: The wood stove is made of metal and tile. Is closed and a pipeline to prevent

smoke was left in the house.

Drinking Water: Drinking water is Transported or rainwater captured with ducts in the ceiling

that is stored in a tank (enough for 3 months of consumption) and then comes home with a water

pump. Drinkable because we will use an “Eco filter", that will clean the water. The water will

feed a shower, a toilet and a kitchen sink.

Drains: All gray water (shower and kitchen sink) can be reused, for example in an orchard.

Blackwater (toilets) are transported to a drain constructed pumice stone separating solids from

liquids

Housing Grants for Native Americans

Native American Housing Solutions Native American Grants

There are many grants and programs available for Native Americans who need housing. Some

are offered by private organizations, some by specific tribes, and still others are available on the

state and federal level.

Most are intended for Native Americans who can show financial need, and reduced living

conditions or below poverty levels.

Indian Community Development Block Grant Program (ICDBG)

This particular program is designed to provide Native American tribes (as well as Native

organizations applying for these programs on behalf of the members of the tribes) In addition,

there are direct grants available specifically for producing working Native American and Alaska

Native Communities. These grants may include, but are not limited to providing for suitable

housing, appropriate living environment, and better economic opportunities, especially for lower

and moderate income individuals and families.

Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) Program

This specific program consists of a formula grant that allows Native American groups or tribally

designated housing entities (TDHEs) to offer a variety of affordable housing opportunities and

options available on a reservation or designated Native American area. These programs are

described and classified in what is referred to as an Indian Housing Plan (IHP) which is released

http://www.rlnn.com/housing-grants-native-americans

each year and submitted to HUD for review and compliance with NAHASDA federally

mandated guidelines. The Housing Choice Vouchers are available to low-income families to

provide them with affordable, clean, safe rental housing.

GRANTS FROM PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS

Applications for grants and federally funded programs based on Tribal affiliation are normally

made by applying directly through local Tribal offices. Grants that are administered by

corporations or private groups generally require the applicants to apply directly to the corporate

offices or organizations.

Public housing is available to make available clean, safe rental housing for qualified low income

families with children, people with disabilities, as well as the elderly population that live on a

fixed income. Grants Management Center

This office is responsible for processing, conducting reviews and also awarding categorical and

formula grants to assist individuals and families. One of these programs includes the Housing

Choice Voucher program (also known as Section 8). Native American individuals and families

can apply for this program through their local HUD office as well as receive information about

the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program (PHDEP).

Section 184 Loan Guarantee Program was created to aid Native Americans and Alaska Native

families in construction of new homes, purchasing homes, as well as rehabilitation or refinancing

homes.

By encouraging lenders to guarantee loans 100%, to aid Native Americans, increasing the value

of Native assets and improve the financial standing of Native Communities.

US Department of the Interior, The Indians Affair (Housing Improvement program), HIP, the

Housing Improvement Program, is a home repair, renovation, replacement and new housing

grant program administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and federally-recognized

Indian tribes for American Indians, and families who have no immediate resource for standard

housing.

In Conclusion this plan was to provide a strong sense of direction for the community and create

alternatives for housing improvement, quality and affordable housing for Native Americans and

improve the quality of the Native American families and protect the environment through

intelligent infrastructure. Utilizing intelligent design and appropriate technology, we provide

users with 3 basic services: Clean Water, Clean Energy and Sanitation at an affordable price.

Running head: The Auto-Sustainable Native American Housing

Reference & Visual:

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/rock.htm

Source: warpaths2peacepipes

http://www.jetsongreen.com/

http://www.adobebuilder.com/adobe-fireplace-wall-5.html

Intermodal Shipping Container Small Steel Buildings

http://www2.buildinggreen.com/blogs/shipping-container-housing

http://arquitecturanatural.com/

http://www.blurb.com/books/2108844-the-year-of-mud

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih/grants

http://www.rlnn.com/housing-grants-native-americans

http://bia.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OIS/HumanServices/HousingImprovementProgram/index.htm

http://www.jetsongreen.com/http://www.adobebuilder.com/adobe-fireplace-wall-5.htmlhttp://www2.buildinggreen.com/blogs/shipping-container-housinghttp://arquitecturanatural.com/http://www.blurb.com/books/2108844-the-year-of-mudhttp://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih/grantshttp://www.rlnn.com/housing-grants-native-americans

The Auto-Sustainable Native American Housing

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(Picture1)

The massive area of the United States incorporates many different types of climate and land and

the Native American houses, homes and shelters were dictated by the natural raw materials

available to the Indians in the areas they inhabited.

The Auto-Sustainable Native American Housing

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Adobe Housing.

The Auto-Sustainable Native American Housing

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