Lloyd Kahn (born 1935) is arguably the most influential pioneer of the DIY building movement that emerged in the counterculture of the 1960s. Besides being trained as a carpenter and having built many homes by hand, he also has a special talent for presenting information in an easy-to-understand form, a skill he puts to use as editor-in-chief of Shelter Publications, where he releases books on building and fitness.
His first contact with the craft of publishing was in 1968 when he became a key contributor to the creation of the Whole Earth Catalog, which led him to publish two books on dome building and then, in 1973, the book Shelter (which went on to sell over 300.000 copies).
The name Shelter is significant here, as it describes the essence of why we build. When we speak of architecture we think of monumental structures or at least buildings for an elite, and not of the homes built to meet our most human needs. This is what I find so empowering about Kahn’s emphasis on building traditions outside the architectural canon: The message that you can still create your own home, without being rich or a professional. Much of what is presented to us today under the label #cabinporn has little to do with this utopian spirit that encourages a forgotten self-efficacy beyond what money can buy.
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- GIMME SHELTER – February, 2024 February 8, 2024
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- Ocean on Houseboat For Sale in BC Canada
- Glenn Storek on Obituary for Robert C. Kahn
- Thomas Rondeau on My Home in Big Sur, Built in the ’60s
- Thomas Rondeau on My Home in Big Sur, Built in the ’60s
- Anna Gade on I’m Switching My Blog to Substack
- Mr. Sharkey on I’m Switching My Blog to Substack
- Chris on Scotty and Marissa’s Travels in Latin America
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- Pauline liste on RIP Lloyd House
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- Robert Hayes-McCoy on Old Thatched Cottage in Ireland
- Bonnie Peterson on Val Agnoli’s Sculptural Home
- Geoff Welch on Building a DIY Cabin with Friends, from Start to Finish
- Irene Tukuafu on GIMME SHELTER – February, 2024
- Lloyd Lindley II on The Heddal Stave Church in Norway
- Paul Recupero on ORGANIZED SLIME: The Great Septic Rip-off of the 21st Century