Software engineer Steve James calls himself an “envisioneer”. He envisioned the £4000 eco-friendly home he built in Scotland and he envisioned other house plans that are copyright free for anyone wanting to take advantage of his designs.

James concedes that his straw and turf home would’ve cost £1000 less had he chopped the wood himself instead of using a sawmill.

This is probably a bit too “green” for New York standards. Although it is warmed by a wood burning stove and remains watertight, the home lacks some modern day conveniences that even the most fervent eco Nazi would back away from. The rainwater filtration system sounds fine, but it’s the compost toilet and car battery energy that I might have a problem with. Hmm, would that be to code in NYC?

Anyway, kudos to Mr. James for building this very cool home. His motto, “Be the world you wish to live in.” is truly inspiring. But I just need a toilet that flushes.

Check out the Independent article for details on how he assembled the home.

Envisioneer website has tips, diy and slideshows if you can get it to load properly.