​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tamped and Off the Grid

 

Thank you "The Cottager" magazine for featuring my story in 2018. Being on the cover of such a beautiful magazine is a true honour!

"House with a View - An Off-Grid Dream". 

​

“I love this room! It's my favourite place in the house. I'm always so tempted to come up here with my morning coffee, watch the sunrise, open my book and just cuddle up and stay till it sets again! That's my idea of a perfect day!” Maggie Andres laughs. 

​

And standing in this breathtaking room next to her makes that easy to understand!

​

An octagonal mini replica of the main floor with 8 gorgeous timbers detailing the arc of a domed ceiling, this cupola is spectacular.

​

And as if the room itself isn't awesome enough, a circle of windows overlooks glistening water and a beautifully treed property.

​

Tucked away in Manitoba’s picturesque southwest corner, amid lakes and majestic oaks, a dream, 25 years in the making, has come true. And it has come true off-grid, in the side of a hill!

​

Tamped or rammed earth houses aren’t a common Canadian sight, although they’re becoming more talked about as the desire for environmentally friendly living grows.

​

The building technique itself is ancient, actually dating back to Neolithic times and has been used throughout history in every continent on the globe, with the exception of Antarctica.

 

Existing as early as 5000 BC in China, it made its way into Europe and from Europe was brought to North America.

​

Many southern plantations of the 1700s, including Thomas Jefferson’s home “Monticello” are tamped earth construction.

 

Here in Canada, St. Thomas Anglican Church in Shanty, Ontario, built in the 1800s, is a charming example of tamped or rammed earth.

​

And the Great Wall of China certainly attests to durability! Along with durability, though there are many more advantages to tamped earth housing.

​

Earthen walls are a high thermal mass. The walls absorb heat during the day, hold that warmth and then release it throughout the night as temperatures drop.

​

And since heat naturally transfers from hot to cold, the walls of the home are able to provide warmth in winter and coolness in summer.

​

In addition to this important feature, tamped earth walls are fire-resistant, very sound-proof and surprisingly enough, virtually impervious to insects and rodents.

​

In ancient times, these qualities, along with the availability of materials, probably played the biggest roles in tamped earth’s popularity.

​

Add to these benefits the modern-day desirability of being low maintenance, eco-friendly, energy-efficient and cost-effective and it’s easy to understand the renewed interest in this building style.

​

Living off-grid is intriguing to ecologists and concerned citizens everywhere.

​

And living off-grid is a very important component of the environmentally responsible lifestyle Maggie Andres and David Neufeld strongly value.

​

“In as many ways as possible we try to live compatibly with the earth”, David explains.

​

“It's a lifestyle concept that took shape during 8 years we spent volunteering in South Africa, living among the community and experiencing the very basic, simple lifestyles of the people there,” Maggie adds.

​

“When you see how other cultures do things and begin to understand that there are just so many different ways to look at everything, it really opens your eyes to questions about what you value and what’s important in your own lifestyle.”

​

It was in South Africa that they were first introduced to the technique of tamped or rammed earth building.

​

Although most of their time was spent helping with education, healthcare, farming, and water purification, the mandate of the organization they were with was to live side by side with the community, helping in areas that mattered most to its citizens, rather than introducing Canadian ways.

​

“So, we were really living with them and doing things their way. And when you see how other people live it makes you realize just how many choices we really have that we never even think about.” Maggie explains.

​

Halfway through their 8 years in South Africa they came home for 2 years and fell in love with property near Lake Max in Manitoba’s Turtle Mountain.

​

It was Maggie’s dream then to someday build a tamped earth home here.

​

They were in their twenties at the time, she laughs, as she teases David that he took a little longer to get on board with the vision.

​

Walking the property with them now, taking in the beauty of the oaks and the gentle allure of the water, it’s easy to understand why they knew then that this pretty piece of land had to someday be theirs.

​

Even with the urban community of Boissevain a quick 15 minutes north and The International Peace Garden a stone’s throw to the south, it feels as though you’ve completely stepped outside modern civilization.

​

When Maggie and David moved back from South Africa and were home to stay, their dream of a tamped earth house was exchanged for one of starting a family and put on hold until a time when it better suited their lifestyle.

​

Needing a temporary place to live they moved a little church onto the property and renovated it.

​

Now, adult children, grandkids and many adventures later, Maggie laughs “It just wasn’t as temporary as we thought it was going to be!”

​

“What was the biggest challenge?” She says, incredulously. “Having nothing around to learn from! Building always goes better the second time, right? We could do all the reading we wanted but at the end of the day, we were really forging into the unknown and experimenting. It always felt a bit like working with a song and a prayer!” Maggie explains.

​

One disadvantage of building a tamped earth home in Canada is that, although there are a handful of companies around with the necessary expertise and equipment required, there weren’t very many of them very easily available for David and Maggie to consult with or hire.

​

The knowledge and skill needed for this type of building is quite different from traditional construction methods. And the construction itself is time-consuming and very labor-intensive.

​

With proper design, a tamped earth house is ideal for living off-grid, though and living in harmony with nature is important to Maggie and David.

​

So, after extensive research, they decided to go ahead with their dream house, doing as much of the actual building themselves as possible … Extra hands, opinions, and advice welcome!

​

“And we really did have help from all over,” Maggie says. “Our kids made time to come work with us whenever they could and so many people from everywhere contributed their time and ideas. In a lot of ways, it really feels like an art project, you know, made up of what each person has brought to it. I think, to me, that makes it even more special.”

​

For example, while the main structure of the house itself is offset slightly on the property to maximize the benefit of sunlight, at a friend’s suggestion the cupola is aligned with cardinal directions, providing a perfect view of summer and winter solstices.

 

Very fittingly, they moved into their home on the eve of the winter solstice … December 21, 2018.

​

And so, taking a centuries-old technique, blending it with research, hard work and no shortage of creativity, imagination, and insight, Maggie and David have incorporated their own personal style and preferences and have successfully made their vision a reality.

​

The results are stunning.

​

Their home is 16 sided. The back wall of the main floor is solid earth. Approximately 12” thick it’s curved, arcing with the hillside, providing both heat and insulation.

​

The home’s warmth is absorbed by the earthen wall and then released as the temperature drops.

​

When first building the wall, temporary forms were put in place. Soil from the excavation site was carefully sieved through heavy mesh screen and mixed with approximately 5% concrete, adding strength and stability.

​

The final product was then packed by hand, using a pneumatic tamper between the forms until completely compacted.

​

For this very important part of the procedure, David enlisted the help of an experienced tamper and invited anyone interested in learning the process to come join in and share the experience.

​

Because of the nature of the tamping procedure, an interesting wave design emerged in the earth wall as layer upon layer was firmed into place, creating a beautiful and very distinctive effect that’s now a permanent backdrop to the décor.

​

Next, a waterproof shield was secured.

​

Styrofoam sheeting between the earthen wall and the shield prevents heat from being drawn off and lost into the surrounding hillside.

​

Directly opposite the rounded earth wall is a curved wall of windows, creating a circle effect.

​

Overlooking the water, these windows not only showcase the beauty of the property, but also welcome much-desired sunshine into the home’s interior.

​

South-facing, this wall aids with warming in two ways; first by letting in sunlight and secondly by being ‘envelope construction’ (2 parallel wooden walls, approximately 2 inches apart), thus minimizing heat loss and allowing for a variety of insulating methods at the same time.

​

Maggie and David chose fiberglass pink.

​

The 12’ high walls stand on a concrete foundation that wraps around an earthen floor.

​

“It took David a long time to convince me to go with an earth floor,” Maggie admits. “My idea of what a mud floor would be like was just not anything I wanted any part of,” she says with a shudder.

​

“David understood what I was thinking and was determined to show me what he meant. He managed to find a family who had an earthen floor and then he got us invited over to take a look at it.”

​

She laughs. “When I actually saw an earth floor in a home and was able to talk to the homeowners about how much they love it, I was sold. It’s really beautiful and even more importantly, really clean and durable, too.”

​

Finished with linseed oil, the floor looks like glossy concrete but feels softer and is much warmer.

​

It can be polished or waxed making it easy to clean and maintain. Colour can be added but Maggie and David preferred its natural look.

​

And since it’s earthen like the walls, the floor is also a thermal mass, absorbing and releasing heat as temperature changes; warm in the winter, cool in the summer.

​

In keeping with their desire to ‘shop local,’ rocks used for fill beneath the floor come from a nearby quarry.

​

Radiant heat using water lines acts as a backup to warm the floor.

​

Water for the lines, used in place of glycol or other toxic liquids, is collected from rainwater and an in-house well, stored in a 40-gallon hot water tank, heated by 36 solar panels.

​

Banks of solar panels, specially situated for maximum solar gain, sit at the water’s edge, gathering direct sunlight all year, as well as reflected sunlight from the ice in winter, providing 8.1 KW of power.

​

A central Swedish masonry heater/stove provides additional heat.

​

The stove’s unique design uses air passages along with bricks to absorb heat from the fire, enabling heating to continue long after the fire has burned down. 

​

The home is beautifully fabricated post and beam construction. Timbers making up the interior have been garnered almost entirely from trees on the property.

​

Almost all materials in the house, actually are crafted either from what nature has made available on their property or whenever possible, purchased in Manitoba.

​

Because poplar is abundant, grows fast, and is surprisingly hard when dried, most of the wood in the home is poplar.

​

Some oak, however, has been used throughout for artistic appeal. And artistic appeal is something this home certainly has!

​

The main floor ceiling alone is a masterpiece. 16 hand-cut timbers showcase individually cut, measured, and painstakingly placed tongue-and-groove poplar planks.

​

The interior is open-concept, rooms following the circular flow of the curved walls.

​

A second-floor loft provides a guest room, TV room, and play area for grandkids without blocking very important air circulation.

​

There’s a cold room for backyard garden produce.

​

And if sunshine flooding the house from the magnificent wall of windows isn’t enough, there’s a bright and cheerful 3 season room as well.

​

And of course, a stunning cupola completes the picture!

​

No doubt there will be many amazing sunrises and sunsets seen from this beautifully unique and very environmentally respectful home.

​

******

​

​And in This Corner ...

 

A special thank you to SportsLife Magazine, Manitoba for publishing 2 separate versions of this article in 2012 and 2015. I've changed them both slightly and combined them here for the purpose of saving space.

​

To Brandt and Sherri ... Thank you ... there simply are no words to express how wonderful the difference you make in people's lives is!

​

​

The slogan that greets you says “And in this corner – Hope”.

​

And hope there is, but that’s not all. Hope is really only a small piece of what you see when you look around this gym.

​

I’m standing in Winnipeg’s United Boxing Club. It’s a Saturday morning and this week’s Rock Steady Boxing program is just getting underway.

​

All around me, the club is filled with drive and purpose, with action, with men and women of all ages and with such a positive feeling of yes, hope.

​

It's brimming with energy and enthusiasm, eagerness and determination.

​

It's not, however filled with athletes you might typically expect to find in a boxing club.

​

Like other boxers, these men and women have a very special devotion and resolve driving their workouts.

​

They come from all over, from varied backgrounds, ages and walks of life. But they have something unique in common.

​

They all have Parkinson’s disease and they are here to fight it.

​

Rock Steady, is a non-contact boxing workout that successfully helps diminish signs of Parkinson’s.

​

First established in Indiana in 2006, the program has won many prestigious awards and is recognized as often being effective in increasing quality of life for those living with the disease.

​

In February, 2016 Brandt Butt and Sheri Larsen-Celhar brought the program to Winnipeg.

​

Offered in conjunction with Winnipeg’s U-Turn Parkinson’s, it’s a non-profit volunteer-run program.

 

And it plays an integral role in the lives of some very valuable members of the community.

​

Parkinson’s is a neurological disease that presents many challenges, physically, mentally and emotionally.

​

Often characterized by tremors, it can cause depression, anxiety, personality changes, speech difficulties, motor skill issues along with numerous other complications.

​

The medications necessary for treatment can result in judgement impairment along with loss of inhibitions and impulse control.

 

This can in turn create behavioral issues that never existed prior to the disease, bringing all sorts of painful, easily misunderstood situations into play.

​

The onset of PD can be quite rapid or very slow. Its cause is unknown and currently there is no cure.

​

The Rock Steady Boxing Program is credited with being able to delay and diminish symptoms of the disease, though, and that's very encouraging.

 

Both Brandt Butt and Sheri Larsen-Celhar studied the program in Indianapolis and are certified Rock Steady coaches.

​

In addition to these credentials Brandt, a national boxing champ has a solid background in amateur boxing and Sheri is a nurse practitioner.

​

And so, between the two of them, this awesome mother/ son team brings added skills to an already proven program.

​

Within a few quick moments of talking with them, though you know that whatever knowledge and talents they may have, it’s their kindness, their genuine interest and concern, and their enthusiasm that far outweighs everything else they have to offer.

​

They obviously believe very strongly in the results they have seen, and that can’t help but be inspirational.

​

It’s no wonder that from a modest beginning with a handful of participants the program has grown to 42 members and expanded to 2 Winnipeg locations.

​

“We like to give everyone individual help. But we never turn anyone away either. We want to make it work for everyone who comes out.” says Brandt Butt.

​

Because balance is often an issue with Parkinson’s disease, chairs are provided for anyone who feels uncomfortable standing.

​

There is also a stability belt available for anyone who needs extra support.

​

Brandt explains “Sitting workouts are really very effective, too. Actually, when you’re fighting PD anything you can do to keep moving is going to help. And a boxing workout uses all muscle groups, which is just perfect.”

​

“We don’t expect everyone to work at the same pace and we don't want anyone to push too hard, but we encourage everyone to do their best” says Sheri.

​

“Some days are going to be harder physically than others, but then, hey, every athlete, anyone who works out, experiences that.” Brandt adds. “And of course, it’s going to be worse with Parkinson’s." he says. "But I like to make sure everyone knows that, really, the best thing is that they just came out to try, even if it was hard to get here. Sometimes with all the other problems that come with this disease just getting out and doing something can be the toughest part.” 

​

“That’s so true and it’s not always about the workout, either. Sometimes it’s about just being with the group, and you know, socializing, that makes all the difference”, agrees Sheri.

​

“My favorite moment is always when that first smile starts to happen”, Brandt adds, smiling himself.

​

He takes a moment to explain how, with the “Parkinson’s mask” that accompanies this neurological disease, smiling is often difficult.

​

“But you see that first smile start-up and it always does, too, and then you know the workout’s helping!”

​

“It’s the small things that are huge” says Sheri, her eyes sparkling now with enthusiasm.

​

“Like, for instance, we have a lady who always loved to bake but she had to give it up. Her hands just couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t make them work the way they used to and it made her very sad. She was scared at first that she wouldn’t be able to do the workouts but she kept coming and little by little, slowly you could see she was doing better and better. And then, last week she brought us all her homemade cinnamon buns.”

​

Now Sheri’s eyes have a trace of tears, as she adds “And that was huge!”

​

A happy ending story is great anytime but when it’s about fighting back against a disease and winning it’s especially wonderful!

​

What’s also especially wonderful about Winnipeg’s “Rock Steady Program”, its participants, Brandt, Sheri, and their team of volunteers is the positive, happy atmosphere it encourages.

 

No wonder the program is growing and new members are joining quickly as word spreads.

​

******

​

As one of those new members, Gus's first trip to the gym isn't an easy one but it's easy to see he's excited to make it happen.

​

After losing the love of his life, his wife of 64 years, and having been her primary caregiver for the final 10, a new focus is a welcome distraction.

​

With a love of boxing that began in the‘40’s, Gus is no stranger to the ring.

​

Always an inspiration with his "never give up" fighting spirit, he's more than familiar with the solid determination and stamina boxing takes.

​

And it's obvious Gus isn’t quitting this time either as he battles 2 flights of stairs up to the gym.

​

A Golden Gloves champ in his youth, now at 85, he fights a very different battle. Parkinson's Disease is a formidable opponent but one his boxing background gives him an unexpected edge over.

​

Gus began his amateur boxing career as a teenager, eventually replacing fighter’s gloves with coach’s gloves.

​

Over the years he dedicated countless hours, spanning decades, to being a trainer at Winnipeg’s Pan Am Boxing Club.

​

So, the chance to be back practising his sport is a very welcome opportunity!

​

But watching my dad shakily struggle up those stairs for his first visit to United Boxing Club, I couldn’t imagine that a workout could even be possible.

​

Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong!

​

After a short rest at the top, an introduction to the wonderful people running the program, this beautiful gentleman who relies on a walker or cane to get around made his way cautiously over to the heavy bag.

​

Refusing a chair he began, slowly at first, and then with confidence and determination, to hit the bag.

​

Before long, his symptoms seemed somehow just less. And before long he was throwing jabs and doing footwork with the expertise befitting someone of his experience!

​

Although not a cure, the Rock Steady Program certainly seems to help in delaying and diminishing Parkinson’s symptoms.

​

And for my Dad, being able to enjoy engaging his kids and grandkids in his love of boxing and trade stories at the gym again may be every bit as helpful as the workout itself.

​

Better yet is the sparkle it put back in his eyes!

​

​

​