Hands-On Workshops at the NBC

In addition to the tree house and rocket stove projects already described, there were quite a few other hands-on demonstration projects happening at the Natural Building Colloquium (NBC), and I’ll describe a few of these.

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A simple straw bale wall was erected on a prepared concrete foundation; this was directed by Bill Steen with the assistance of Matts Myhrman and many others. This L-shaped wall would immediately serve as a kind of performance stage and could eventually be enclosed for a building.

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Modern Seaweed Houses

Modern seaweed clad houses utilize a traditional construction method in Denmark
Modern seaweed clad houses utilize a traditional construction method in Denmark

“Seaweed pillows [knit mesh tubes filled with dried seaweed] were used as cladding for this holiday house on the Danish island of Læsø by architecture studio Vandkunsten and non-profit organisation Realdania Byg.

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Using light straw clay (slip straw) as interior wall fill

Good, clear straw/clay tutorial. Put those kids to work!

“An instructional video by Cedar Ridge Farm.

Light straw clay, also known as slip straw, is a healthy and simple material for filling interior (and exterior) walls. The process of packing the straw-clay mixture into the walls requires only simple tools and labor.

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