Natural building, or green building, refers to a variety of techniques and materials that cause little or no damage to the environment during or after construction. Conventional methods of building are much more destructive. Natural building uses local materials to suit local needs with beautiful structures and offers other advantages. Here are some popular styles of natural building.
Techniques and Materials
Earth styles include adobe, cob, rammed earth, and earthbag construction. These use varying proportions of soil, clay, sand, fiber, and water to create thick durable walls. Earth styles tend to be labor intensive but not too expensive. They provide good to excellent insulation for sound and temperature. They are especially useful in very dry regions.
Plant styles include bamboo, cordwood, strawbale, and timberframe. They use different types of plant materials to create structures. Cordwood and strawbale produce chunkier buildings; bamboo and timberframe can produce lighter, airier ones. These can go fast, but tend to be expensive. Strawbale is noted for its superior insulation, ideal for very cold climates.
Modified concrete styles include poured earth, papercrete, and lightweight concrete. These add various materials to cement to change the end product, making it slightly more Earth-friendly. Poured earth uses local soil as an ingredient, so it seems part of the landscape. Papercrete obviously uses paper, among the less practical choices. Lightweight concrete uses fluffy things like pumice or vermiculite; it’s strong and provides great insulation. Prices vary.
Learn About Natural Building
The best way to explore natural building techniques is to try them yourself. Many workshops are available. Natural building schools include Ancient Earth, the Natural Building School, and Yestermorrow. These options allow you to learn from experienced builders. Then you can try a small project of your own, such as building a shed or remodeling a room in a conventional house.
If you can’t find live opportunities near you, books can give you some good ideas. Helpful guides to natural building in general include Natural Building: Creating Communities Through Cooperation
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