House No. 8: Dorze Home

House No. 8: Dorze Home
pencil & ink on repurposed 100% cotton rag cover stock

5.25 in. x 3.75 in.

008/365; 01/08/11

My house today is a drawing of a traditional house of the Dorze of the southern region of Ethiopia. Dorze houses are constructed with vertical bamboo poles and woven bamboo. The thatch is made of ensete plant, grass, and bamboo stem covering. 

The houses are very tall, some are up to forty feet high, and re-locatable. When chewed at the bottom by termites, the house is trimmed from the bottom and moved. The older the house, therefore, the shorter it is, and they can last from sixty to eighty years. 

The house is subdivided and contains a hearth, sleeping quarters and a place for livestock. I think that these houses are ingenious and fascinating. They are the original green, sustainable houses.

House No. 6: Tree House

House No. 6: Tree House

ink on repurposed 100% cotton rag cover stock

5 in. x 5 in.

006/365; 01/06/11

Trees are living homes to birds, squirrels, and insects, and, even dead, trees are an important part of an ecosystem. Dead trees provide homes and food sources for animals and birds, particularly woodpeckers and flickers.

After reading My Side of the Mountain, I had a childhood dream of living inside a giant, hollow tree. (Then after re-reading this novel as an adult, I was dismayed by how environmentally irresponsible the book is. The fifties were a different time. A time when it was okay to steal Peregrine Falcon chicks and raise them yourself, but I digress.)

I drew today's home using a tiny stencil to create the tree's leaves. I cut the stencil out of an index card using an XACTO knife.

House No. 3: Homigami

House No. 3: Homigami

luscious paper stock from a paper company sample tablet

3 in. x 2 in. x 3 in. with base; house alone is 1 in. x 2 in. x 1 in.

003/365; 01/03/11

One of the best parts of being a designer is the free paper swag, samples that paper reps, companies, and occasionally printers pass on to designers to pique our interest in new products.  Although I cannot foresee printing on this stock, which is "Hots" by Domtar, I love making stuff with it.

Today's house was inspired by origami, but I used glue. The house is constructed of the basic origami box and tent shapes.