As a single guy, I could build a comfortable cabin to live in for $8k. The problem is that I can't legally build it anywhere. Customization is dead with the advent of PUDs for one thing. For another, there are three layers of bullshit to deal with before you can even turn a blade of dirt on a project. In rural San Diego County, I could buy a 1/4 acre lot for about $25k in the desert, BUT...I would have to spend over $100k just in building permits, environmental offsets, mandatory water hookup (whether I need it or not), septic permits (whether I need it or not), pulling power to the property (whether I need it or not) - if I could even get that past some planning board. And guaranteed that my $8k house with aircrete shell and spherical design would be denied and NIMBY'ed to death by people throughout my ZIP code in their half million dollar ranch homes because my $8k dome house would drag their property values down...Then there's the stigma... 😏 ...They have done continuous marketing experiments for the last century whereby the exact same product is offered to people three different times with three different prices listed in front of them, and most every time 80% of people will pick the one with the 400% markup as their favorite. It's human nature, and demonstrates just how defectively ego-bound we as a species are...So efficient, low-cost housing is already possible - it's just not "do-able". And without tearing down the bureaucratic laws that prevent us from erecting a comfortable yurt in the middle of Los Angeles, on a legally designated piece of land, we will continue to get bitten in the tukus by the Law of Unintended Consequences. The more people in power try to suppress what they think is an unsavory option for dealing with our social problems that goes against their interests, they will continue to get an even more unsavory reality. So in response to Christine's take on innovation in the building industry, I think the innovation is there, but bureaucracy and Big Housing have sucked all of the air out of the proverbial room such that innovation can't really survive in this environment...Great interview as always Belinda!... 😉
My father was an architect. He trained at Berkley. Back in the day (right after WWII) tne requirement was a summer internship - not with an architectural firm - with a general contractor. Dad always believed that eliminating that requirement was a disservice to the profession and especially detrimental to young architects. I must say, I have to agree.
Path dependency. The resistance comes from experience where changing the one thing nearly always comes with unexpected consequences. Devil you know type of thing and learning curves for every trade down the line. Great discussion, thanks.
Appreciate you and your guest. And don't let the reaction from the shipping container video get you down. So much in our industry that needs correction is social and not technical. We have to overcome the "religion" of green and educate people that building is system and not just a marketing slogan. I like your straight forward thought process.
Gentlemen, we must step up our game. It seems that women are the big thinkers and innovators in the construction industry. Maybe it's the kick the industry needs. Great interview Belinda, Christine's energy and excitement jumps off the screen and she comes with such a fresh and innovative perspective. I am sure she will continue to add volumes to the construction industry and will keep advancing new ideas and innovations. Keep up the great work, the quality of these podcasts definitely reflect the amount of time you must pour into them, it more than pays off.
@@jbf3727 No question but the swinging part comes at the end, a result of the innovation and the multitude of women Belinda has had on focus on the innovations at the jobsite. Eventually, swinging the hammer will get less and less as more and more walls and structures become pre-built. The workforce will move inside instead of being out there in the elements.
I agree that a lot of innovation is in progress. And a lot of women are entering and helping the industry. But until we deal with the social issues surrounding the industry a lot of automation will not take off. By social I mean the perceptions of manufactured homes and the lower values they hold due to the social stigma and the way the homes are listed within thier jurisdictions. I can see new components entering the market that may help but fail to see any new proprietary building systems that are going to replace basic stick framing.
Pumicecrete is by far the best building material on the planet Pumicecrete is a mixture of 10 parts pumice to 1 part. cement and 1.5 parts water mixed and poured into a set of reusable forms walls are poured from 12"to 24" thick pumicecrete is fireproof termite proof rust rot and mold proof non toxic and has a high R value and good sound attenuation solid poured walls means no critters can live in your walls Pumicecrete can be built for a fraction of the cost and time and pumice is the only material that can go directly from the mine to the job site ready to use without any additional possessing and zero waste
As a single guy, I could build a comfortable cabin to live in for $8k. The problem is that I can't legally build it anywhere. Customization is dead with the advent of PUDs for one thing. For another, there are three layers of bullshit to deal with before you can even turn a blade of dirt on a project. In rural San Diego County, I could buy a 1/4 acre lot for about $25k in the desert, BUT...I would have to spend over $100k just in building permits, environmental offsets, mandatory water hookup (whether I need it or not), septic permits (whether I need it or not), pulling power to the property (whether I need it or not) - if I could even get that past some planning board. And guaranteed that my $8k house with aircrete shell and spherical design would be denied and NIMBY'ed to death by people throughout my ZIP code in their half million dollar ranch homes because my $8k dome house would drag their property values down...Then there's the stigma... 😏 ...They have done continuous marketing experiments for the last century whereby the exact same product is offered to people three different times with three different prices listed in front of them, and most every time 80% of people will pick the one with the 400% markup as their favorite. It's human nature, and demonstrates just how defectively ego-bound we as a species are...So efficient, low-cost housing is already possible - it's just not "do-able". And without tearing down the bureaucratic laws that prevent us from erecting a comfortable yurt in the middle of Los Angeles, on a legally designated piece of land, we will continue to get bitten in the tukus by the Law of Unintended Consequences. The more people in power try to suppress what they think is an unsavory option for dealing with our social problems that goes against their interests, they will continue to get an even more unsavory reality. So in response to Christine's take on innovation in the building industry, I think the innovation is there, but bureaucracy and Big Housing have sucked all of the air out of the proverbial room such that innovation can't really survive in this environment...Great interview as always Belinda!... 😉
My father was an architect. He trained at Berkley. Back in the day (right after WWII) tne requirement was a summer internship - not with an architectural firm - with a general contractor. Dad always believed that eliminating that requirement was a disservice to the profession and especially detrimental to young architects. I must say, I have to agree.
Path dependency. The resistance comes from experience where changing the one thing nearly always comes with unexpected consequences. Devil you know type of thing and learning curves for every trade down the line. Great discussion, thanks.
Appreciate you and your guest. And don't let the reaction from the shipping container video get you down. So much in our industry that needs correction is social and not technical. We have to overcome the "religion" of green and educate people that building is system and not just a marketing slogan.
I like your straight forward thought process.
34:00 research and development
Enjoyable video....I'm a 1/3 of the way in. tHanks for the videos
If you want forever build with pumice
Many structures in Rome that are 2000 years old are made of pumice
Have the guy that wants a forever house Call me I can help him
Gentlemen, we must step up our game. It seems that women are the big thinkers and innovators in the construction industry. Maybe it's the kick the industry needs. Great interview Belinda, Christine's energy and excitement jumps off the screen and she comes with such a fresh and innovative perspective. I am sure she will continue to add volumes to the construction industry and will keep advancing new ideas and innovations. Keep up the great work, the quality of these podcasts definitely reflect the amount of time you must pour into them, it more than pays off.
Doesn't matter what's between your legs unless you can swing a hammer with it. That's what I tell my crew
@@jbf3727 No question but the swinging part comes at the end, a result of the innovation and the multitude of women Belinda has had on focus on the innovations at the jobsite. Eventually, swinging the hammer will get less and less as more and more walls and structures become pre-built. The workforce will move inside instead of being out there in the elements.
I agree that a lot of innovation is in progress. And a lot of women are entering and helping the industry. But until we deal with the social issues surrounding the industry a lot of automation will not take off. By social I mean the perceptions of manufactured homes and the lower values they hold due to the social stigma and the way the homes are listed within thier jurisdictions. I can see new components entering the market that may help but fail to see any new proprietary building systems that are going to replace basic stick framing.
Pumicecrete is by far the best building material on the planet Pumicecrete is a mixture of 10 parts pumice to 1 part. cement and 1.5 parts water mixed and poured into a set of reusable forms walls are poured from 12"to 24" thick pumicecrete is fireproof termite proof rust rot and mold proof non toxic and has a high R value and good sound attenuation solid poured walls means no critters can live in your walls Pumicecrete can be built for a fraction of the cost and time and pumice is the only material that can go directly from the mine to the job site ready to use without any additional possessing and zero waste
Sorry, but mold can even grow on glass. All it requires is spores and moisture. A more appropriate term is mold resistant.
@@2ndChanceAtLife aren't Trolls wonderful