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?

Open-plan shared living/kitchen/dining

Passive

One of 2 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.

Kitchen, dining and living areas combined in one large open room. Space that would go to walls and corridors becomes shared living space, and the room feels bigger than its floor area. The trade-off is less privacy and quiet between activities.

Cost

Medium

Upkeep

None

Skill to build

None

Lifespan

Matches structure lifespan (a layout choice, not a physical component)

Embodied carbon

Low

Space / material use

None

Output timing

None

Skill to repair

None

Inputs

none

Outputs

none

Compare the 2 ways to meet this need

Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.

• Open-plan shared living/kitchen/dining (This page)
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes
  Choose it if you want the house to feel bigger than its floor area.
• Shared solar terrace
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Medium · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes
  Choose it if you live in a block of flats and want a sunny place for solar equipment, with the cost shared.

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Limitations of this page

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.