Ken Kern was a builder and author who devoted himself to aiding owner-builders, and believed strongly in living on the land. He lived outside of

North Fork, California North Fork (formerly Brown's and Northfork; Mono wa?ahhpY', "cedar grove") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Madera County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census it had a population of 3,250. It is part of the Mad ...

at the time of his death and lived for many years on a self-built homestead outside

Oakhurst, California Oakhurst (formerly Fresno Flats) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Madera County, California, Madera County, California, United States, south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. At the 2020 censu ...

Despite being an experienced builder and proponent of

earth sheltering An earth shelter, also called an earth house, earth bermed house, or underground house, is a structure (usually a house) with earth (soil) against the walls, on the roof, or that is entirely buried underground. Earth acts as thermal mass, making ...

, Kern was killed when an earth roof he designed collapsed on him.

Written works

Writings by Kern include: * ''The Owner-Built Home'' * ''The Owner-Built Homestead'' * ''The Owner-Built Pole Frame House'' * ''The Earth Sheltered Owner-Built Home'' * ''The Owner Builder & the Code: Politics of Building'' * ''The Work Book: Personal Politics of Building Your Home'' * ''The Healthy House: An Owner-Builders Guide to Biological Building'' * ''Ken Kern's Homestead Workshop'' * ''Ken Kern's Stone Masonry'' * ''Ken Kern's Masonry Stove'' * ''Fireplaces''

References

External links

Construction in the United States {{US-writer-stub