This is a cool project. I have been working with an amazing social enterprise called Reclaimed Timber Traders. They have a huge yard full of wood that has been diverted from landfill. Part of their mission is to provide building materials post disaster around the world. But instead of sending a shipping container full of wood, I had the idea of pre-assembling an emergency shelter that can be put together by two people in half a day using only hand tools.
The design is a hybrid post and beam using dimensional lumber to form the mortise and tenon joins. Here is a post made from three 2x4s nailed together. (Note this has been screwed together quickly for a photo op with the local newspaper.)
This prototype can be used as a model to ‘mass produce’ structures that can be flat-packed and shipped around the world or sold locally as a sleep-out or garden shed.
A great day and lots of trigonometry!
Peace, Estwing
Eco Thrifty Living 
And to think you could have been doing that in Whanganui if our city council had been up to scratch.
That is awesome Nelson, you can come and build me a similiar structure any time, spare room!?
Hi Judy,
I’ll be up in Hamilton in April for a conference. No time to build but maybe a short visit.