In the spirit of trial and error , and with a propensity as old as humanity itself , Anton Tinner forges a path to freedom . With a barely-existent budget , trailer loads of recycled materials and the will to live a life free of debt and dependence on the industrial military complex , Anton ’ s effort is reminiscent of another era : an era which espoused the grit and ingenuity generations of human beings drew upon to survive in harsh desert and mountain regions . This grit is necessary not only in West Texas , but throughout the Earth and throughout humanity ’ s long and evolving tenure here .

Terms like sustainability , survivalism or off-grid living could be applied to this ancient / modern concept . The idea is that a human being could survive and provide for their simple needs from the land around them , however harsh . Unlike our ancestors ,

modern man has the great boon of scientific discovery and technology , which create an arena of unlimited potential , and provide the infrastructure to sustain lives and lifestyles . Anton Tinner ’ s 20 acres in the Chihuahuan Desert is an experiment into what is possible .

He knew almost nothing about the region , community , and landscape in which he purchased his property sight-unseen off an internet site , searching “ cheap property .” After some research and discovering Brewster County ’ s lack of building code requirements , Anton hit the “ buy now ” button . He gave up his career , let go of his city house and set out to make a home in a desert of which he knew very little . Yet he was certain about putting his ideals and his body into action , to build his forever home and his independence . Inspired by sustainability concepts such as earthships , geodesic domes and alternative energy , his desire is to be “ free of a consumptive human system that is broken , or actually never worked at all .”

Raised on an exotic game ranch in the hill county outside Austin , his first language was French as both his parents immigrated to Texas from France . Anton ’ s life has always been unique . Growing up , he and his sister spent every other summer with their grandparents in France . Back in Texas he lived among the emu , ostrich , rhea , and ringtailed lemur his parents raised on the ranch , along with other exotic animals they boarded . He worked seasonally as a party boat captain on Lake Travis , to help finance his land and construction costs . Before his decision to leave the city and the city life , he built a career for 10 years , working his way up to management at one of the largest restaurants in the Austin area .

More rebar is added to the base and tied together to form the domed roof . Chicken wire is spread over the rebar cage . Old sheets and T-shirts soaked in a watery concrete mixture are laid over the chicken wire to form the first hard layer . Three more half-layers of concrete plaster are subsequently put down to finish the roof .

The domed roofs are weight bearing and morph into the hillside .

A t-shirt bearing a Nike slogan Is visible in the ceiling , having been soaked in a concrete solution and used as part of the base layer in the Cenizo construction of the dome .

Winter 2021