House Construction Sponsorship

We are construcing a first hemp-lime house in Romania. Hemp used to be extensively cultivated and processed in Romania and we hope to see it come back. Though hemp is well known throughout Romania for quality fibers used for fabrics, its potential as a superbly insulated, healthy and ecological construction material has not yet been utilized.

An insulated hemp-house drastically lowers heating requirements. Therefor, we are designing an efficient heating system based on widely available wood and utilizing the suns-power, when possible, to heat water and in the future to generate electricity.

We are designing a house that will also demonstrate energy efficiency and ecological waste elimination (to replace the notorious hole-in-the-ground out-houses) including composting toilets and grey-water processing.

The house is currently in design and further details will become available in coming weeks. In addition to the house itself and due to the location of the property we need to create a basic access road to the property and buy a 4×4 capable vehicle.

Car
12,000 Euro
Seeking Sponsor
The village settings in which we will live require a reliable 4×4 car. The car should seat 5 people, have an engine of no more then 2.5 liters (to remain in a relatively low-tax category) and an automatic gear-shift. We would be happy to have a second-hand vehicle in good condition that has been well-kept.
Power Tools
3000 Euro
Seeking Sponsor
Bhudeva is going to be a self-build and volunteer based project. To do this we are going to need power tools. The two major groups of tools will be for wood-framing of the house and then wood-working for cabinetry, furniture, trimmings, etc. We would like to work with quality, reliable and durable tools.
Access Road
2500 Euro
Seeking Sponsor
We have ~200 meters of what is currently a muddy path leading to our house. We are going to stabilize i and make it accessible by leveling it, digging an drainage ditch and then covering the path with geo-textile and packed gravel.
Running Water
To be confirmed
Seeking Sponsor
We have a well on our land and we are going to create a running water supply. This includes a main well-pump (taking into consideration our long term plans and needs), pressurization & circulation pumps as needed, pipes, filters through to working faucets. At first we will be connecting the existing house to the water supply. Then we will be adding the new house. Finally, as we continue to renovate and expand, we will connect additional structures.
Foundations
To be confirmed
Tentative
This budget is intended to cover professional (it’s important to get foundation done right and we see very little value to doing this ourselves) work and materials.
Wood Framing Materials
To be confirmed
Tentative
We will be framing the house by ourselves and with the help of volunteers. This budget covers the lumber required.
Hemp-Lime Construction Materials
To be confirmed
Tentative
We have been fortunate to find a supply of hemp that is stuitable construction here in Romania. In addition to the hemp we need a supply of various lime products to create the hemcrete mortar and finishing layers.
Living Roof
To be confirmed
Tentative
The roof of our house is going to be a living roof – simply put a lawn with plants. It is a beautiful, efficient, affordable and ecological solution. This budget will cover the construction of our living roof.
Windows
To be confirmed
Tentative
We will know much more about our needs and options but we can say that we will be using either triple-glazing windows or a combination of two bouble-glazed windows. We are aiming for insulated and energy efficient windows to complement the hemp-lime wall insulation.
Central Heating System
To be confirmed
Tentative
Our central heating system is a high-efficiency wood-stove and a water storage tank which is used for both hot water and heating. In addition we will be installing a backup gas-heater for running water (sinks and showers) only – this heater will kick in only if the water in the tank is not hot enough and only as needed.
Under Floor Heating
To be confirmed
Tentative
Under-floor heating is a wonderful thing to live with. It’s also a relatively simple and low cost system to install.
Solar Panels
To be confirmed
Tentative
Solar panels are an important complementary heating system that works in conjunction with our central heating system. It should provide us with most of the hot water we need for 6 months a year and for part of our hot water the other 6 months. It recudes the need to burn wood in the central heating system.

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