“We have created a concept where people in ethnic minorities can host tourists in a truly sustainable way. The bungalows are owned and run by the villagers, there is a limited amount of people visiting the village at all times, the building is made out of clay (ADOBE) and minimal external resources are being used … Read more
“Adobe Workshop 1st-8th April 2014 Chiang Mai, Thailand. contact 084-6084260
“Tile faced Mud Blocks have been developed and used by Centre of Science for Villages, Wardha, Maharashtra for the last four decades. The blocks are made of earth and not baked. they are protected by a baked tile that is inserted during block production to provide weather proofing. The blocks use lesser energy in production as compared to conventional kiln baked bricks and can be produced with local materials and labour.”
Yesterday’s blog post showed an adobe home photographed by Bill Steen, one of the prominent straw bale building pioneers (co-author of The Straw Bale House). I thought readers might enjoy learning more about this beautiful home in New Mexico. Kent Griswold’s Tiny House Blog does a good job of covering the story.
“New home construction comes at a tremendous expense to the planet. Building 1.7 million homes with traditional wood, steel and concrete frames consumes the same amount of energy as heating and cooling 10 million houses each year, according to the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials. The environmental costs stem largely from the manufacture of the materials. Cement production, for example, requires an astounding amount of energy and results in water and air pollution and industrial waste that is usually not recycled. Using natural materials that require minimal processing or refining reduces these environmental impacts.