This Environmentally-Friendly House is Made of Stacks of Old Newspapers
If you have the opportunity to visit Massachusetts, United States, take some time to visit Pigeon Hill Street. On this street, you will find a building made of newspapers. Just from its name, this building is already called the "Paper House." At first glance, this house, which resembles a regular home, doesn't appear much different from the surrounding buildings. However, upon closer inspection, you'll notice that stacks of newspapers are arranged in such a way as to form a house.
Paper House, Massachusetts, USA. By Flickr
This paper house was built in 1922 when a mechanical engineer named Elis Stenman began constructing a small summer house in the area. The construction process was similar to that of any other house, with wooden frames, a typical roof, and common flooring. What set it apart was the walls. Stenman had a crazy idea to stack and glue together old newspapers until they were one inch thick. He then gave them a shiny varnish.
Paper House, Massachusetts, USA. By Flickr
Tak hanya dinding yang dibuat dari tumpukan koran dan kertas bekas, Stenman juga membuat kursi, meja, rak buku bahkan tirai, dan jam dinding. Hanya piano yang terbuat dari kayu meski tetap dilapisi dengan kertas sobekan majalah untuk membuatnya menjadi unik. Tidak ada yang tahu pasti apa motivasi Stenman membuat rumah dari kertas koran bekas tersebut, yang jelas bangunan ini jadi ide yang sangat baik untuk menggunakan bahan ramah lingkungan yang ada. Dalam waktu dua tahun, Stenman berhasil menyelesaikan rumah tersebut dan menghuninya hingga tahun 1930.
Paper House, Massachusetts, USA. By Flickr
After nearly ninety years, the top layer of the walls slowly began to peel away, revealing writings from the past that make visitors delighted to read. After Stenman's death in 1942, the house became a museum, which it remains today.
Paper House, Massachusetts, USA. By Flickr
Stenman's grandchildren speculate that he may have used recycling techniques to cope with economic difficulties during the Great Depression. Even the glue he used was made from a mixture of flour, water, and apples.
Paper House, Massachusetts, USA. By Flickr
The entire house, including the paper furniture, took him twenty years to complete. In doing so, Stenman used over 100,000 newspapers. The house still stands tall decades after it was built. The varnish has faded, causing the newspaper sheets underneath to peel. But that's what makes the Paper House fascinating. It allows visitors to read vintage advertisements, providing a unique experience for those who visit the Paper House.
This is one of the great ideas for recycling stacks of old newspapers that have accumulated in your home over the years. Are you interested in doing something similar to your house?
