Build Your Own: Use What You Have to Create What You Need

Harrison Gardner

Apr 2022 · Gill & Macmillan Ltd

About this eBook

Making, maintaining and mending our own homes is part of what makes us human. It is a skill that was alive and well until just a few generations ago. Harrison Gardner is a man on a mission to help us rediscover the lost art of building our own home while treading more lightly on the planet in the process. Build Your Own explores the principles of construction and outlines a multitude of practices and methods that enable you to build a home with the materials available to you. Techniques such as bricklaying, plastering, flooring, making mortar and building walls are distilled into simple, practical recipes anyone can try themselves. Whether you plan to build your own structure, are curious about the idea or are working with professionals, Build Your Own is an essential tool that shows that anyone can learn to build – and perhaps everyone should.

About the author

Harrison Gardner is an Australian eco-builder and sustainability designer based in the West of Ireland. Harrison is co-founder and executive director of Common Knowledge, a not-for-profit that aims to empower people with the skills and solutions for living a sustainable life. With over ten years' experience designing and managing the construction of conventional and off-grid buildings throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the USA, Canada and South America, Harrison's focus is on constructing community spaces, teaching individuals how to build and maintain their own homes, and sharing core construction principles and techniques. He built his own home and has taught hundreds of people to do the same.