50 years off-grid: architect-maker paradise amid NorCal redwoods
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Published 2020-04-26
The property is a half-hour drive down a dirt road and it was bare land when they arrived so Charles and Vanna Rae built their own infrastructure: roads, bridges and went decades without refrigeration nor phone (they eventually installed PV panels and cabling for phone lines).
After 15 years in the A-frame, they built a cabin in the woods, and there they lived for a decade until the trees began to block out their views. In 1991 Charles (who once apprenticed under famed architect Richard Neutra) designed the Parabolic Glass House. With a curvilinear wood roof and two curved walls of windows, the home feels enveloped in trees.
Charles and Vanna Rae built it for $8,500 with the timber they milled themselves, using salvaged materials for everything from doorknobs to stoves. The couple relied on photovoltaics, solar thermal and gas for power, and a dug-in greenhouse attached to the home provided much of their food. By canning and preserving, they could go for months without going to a grocery store. Their two boys were homeschooled. The couple supported themselves selling Christmas trees.
Nearly all the old-growth trees on the property were logged in the early 20th century, but Charles has spent the past half-century restoring the land. He and his wife set up the Redwood Forest Institute in 1997 to manage and preserve the forest. He has carefully selected 1,000 trees to be preserved for 2 millennia as the next generation of old-growth.
Now, 88 years old and a widower, Charles is determined to find successors; he hopes to find "three professional couples in their early 40's, financially independent, who want to settle on the property continuing 52 years stewardship of this special place in a sustainable lifestyle where one does for himself or herself rather than urban living". He is currently building "glamping" guest houses that he hopes will help fund the enterprise.
From Charles: "I am still able and interested in accommodating interested parties for a tour and discussions regarding Forestry, architecture, and sustainable lifestyle living as an alternative to urban lifestyle and other for interested parties."
Contact Charles at [email protected]
On *faircompanies: faircompanies.com/videos/50-years-off-grid-archite…
All Comments (21)
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You hear that in his voice? That’s called joy. You don’t hear that much these days.
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He sound like a child talking about his favorite toys ,the happiness in he’s voice is contagious . Loved
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My husband worked here 3 years ago fixing his phone lines for AT&T. Mr. Bello gave him the same treatment, full tour, back story, made him feel like home. He couldn't stop talking about it to me. So amazing to find this video to put a face to a name I have heard so much about! Wow... just wow!
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Was literally crying when he was at the river, splashing water on his face, explaining his bonsai. A pure man.
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I feel compelled to comment that Charles really is the man you see on camera. We spent a whole afternoon moving all over the property and he never got tired, neither physically, nor emotionally: he never lost that excitement in his voice for every tree and home-made window. He's almost 88 and he's very focused on finding a caretaker (or 3) to come live on his property in exchange for carrying on with the forest preservation after he dies. For anyone interested, it really is a beautiful place.
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This guy is an architect, innovator, builder, conservationist, horticulturist, ecologist, environmentalist, sculptor, carpenter, civil engineer, mechanical engineer, mathematician, scientist, tree specialist, geneticist, father, husband all rolled into one. Most of all, he's a dreamer......such a genius. Charles Bello is a living legend. Bravo to Kirsten Dirksen for such an amazing effort. I wish we could see more.........
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I feel like this man is the very definition of what it means to be human to its full extent
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I wish this guy had his own channel. A wealth of knowledge and experience that can't be measured.
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400 acres of land and he has a story for every little rock on the property. What a legend.
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He who plants a tree knowing he may never sit in its shade has learned a lot about life.
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"Simplicity is difficult" Love this guy. What an inspiration.
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I love the concept of having the kitchen sink level with the forest floor outside so you feel like a kid again. He's wise. And his energy and joy is infectious!
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What a life well lived. This man is richer than most millionaires
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This video just makes me wonder “What am I doing with my life?”.
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Please everyone! Scroll to the end of Kirsten's description where she has added an update from Charles. He is 90 now (mid-2022) and apparently had no good offers to take over the land and preserve it and now finds himself in danger of losing his dream, and to a university that has plans for the land that he does not approve of. His plea is dire. Please read the update.
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You should do a follow up with him, I didn't even want his story to end. I've watched this twice already. Very crafty and a blessing to society that man put in work his whole life
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He deserves another lifetime to continue his beautiful work.
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There is an old saying: When an old man dies, a library burns down. This magnificent man is a gem. If there was a way to record his wisdom and knowledge he has accumulated all these years, and then pass them down to generations for all eternity, the library will be preserved. What an amazing journey. Thank you for sharing.
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God I keep coming back to this video. This is my third time watching it. I'm mesmerized not only by the land, the beautiful architecture, the awesome family history, but by this man himself as well. Living the dream
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Im over here taking notes, and not just about forestry and ecology!!! So much knowledge and wisdom in one video, I’m still sitting here 2 minutes after it’s end, smiling. Thank you Sir!!
