Hello, I'm Jack. I'm a British expat building off-grid in the Texas desert, taking on other adventures and documenting the plans, progress and lessons generally learned the hard way. It began with five acres near Terlingua and the entirely sensible decision to build a home on it. The land came without water, power or any particular interest in making the process straightforward. This is what happens next.
The Project
The plan is to build a small off-grid home shaped by the conditions around it. Sun, wind, heat, dust and the occasional arrival of far too much rain will determine much of the design.
At its center will be a shaded pavilion built around an open roof and a small pool. The roof will collect rainwater, the wings will block the worst of the summer sun and the building will rely on solar power rather than utilities that do not exist.
Much of the challenge is making one structure provide shelter, collect water and remain comfortable through the extremes of the desert. Every decision appears to solve one problem while introducing another somewhere less convenient.
Current stage: turning those constraints into plans, power systems and something that might eventually resemble a building.
