Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?
Box-bed with thermal curtain
Passive
One of 5 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
What your site needs
Floor area for the alcove and enough headroom to sit up in it. Nothing is fixed to the building's structure, which is what puts it within reach of a tenant as well as an owner
A bed enclosed like a cupboard, closed with a curtain in cold weather. Only the small space around the sleeper needs to stay warm, and their own body heat does it, with no heater. The bedroom can stay cool all night, and the enclosed bed is also dark and quiet.
Joinery, so it lasts as long as the furniture does. The one failure reported was the mattress rather than the bed: hemp wool compacted over a few weeks and had to be re-lofted
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Box-bed with thermal curtain (This page) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Way of living · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to sleep warm, in the dark and quiet, in an unheated bedroom.
Hot water bottle Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want the cheapest warmth there is, for one person, indoors or out.
Electrically heated table (kotatsu) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: No Choose it if you want to keep everyone warm around one table while the room stays cool.
Solar-powered foot stove (heat cube) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Daily · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want evening warmth from the day’s sun, with no fire.
Insulating furniture (hooded chair, folding screen) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want to stay warm where you sit, sheltered from cold walls and draughts.
We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.