“The small country of Burkina Faso near the border to Ghana may not have many resources or economic wealth, but with the plentiful raw materials available the Kassena people make some of the most culturally rich and architecturally beautiful villages, such as this one in tiébélé, built using traditional gurunsi vernacular. The dwellings occupy a community of just over one hectare in area, and are made of a sun-dried mix of clay, soil, straw and cow droppings moistened to a perfect mortar, mixed by foot to create strong pottery-like structures.
natural building
The Oldest Known Strawbale House in Europe
The ”Maison Feuillette” was built in 1921 by Feuillette, an engineer who was looking for solutions to construction problems. It has been for sale for one year. The house (still inhabited and perfectly preserved) is acknowledged globally as a unique, innovative and exemplary building. It features a timber frame structure with straw bale infill, modular construction, and the use of local materials.
A Temporary Housing Option
Most of the housing solutions we discuss here at Natural Building Blog utilize ultra low cost materials such as soil for earthbags, adobes or CEBs, poles from local forests, straw bales and other locally sourced sustainable materials. Houses built like this are very strong and durable. They’re primarily for permanent housing. But what if you need temporary housing to live in while your main house is being built? While a mobile home/camper would suffice, consider the benefits of building temporary housing. The temporary housing solution outlined here is designed for speed and ease of construction at low cost.
Sterling Codifiers — Online Building Codes
Many counties and municipalities publish their building codes on their websites. This is adequate if you only need the codes for one or a few areas. But what if you’re trying to locate codes for a large area – say, all the counties in western Colorado? In this instance, Sterling Codifiers can make it faster and easier to locate building codes with their online service. They provide a clickable US map, as well as a drop-down menu to facilitate the search process. At this time they primarily cover western states.
Manasaram Architecture: Bamboo Symphony
“Recently completed ‘bamboo symphony’ by Bangalore based Manasaram Architects has been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival award 2011 in both the mixed use office and small office categories. An open air interior space is stepped into the rugged terrain in a spiraling configuration. Reminiscent of a billowing fabric, the canopy wraps around the harvesting pond directing the shell roof’s storm runoff into the water feature.
EMAS Handpumps
Pumps – EMAS high quantity handpump from EMAS on Vimeo.
Make your own low cost water pump (about $12) with a few pieces of PVC pipe. This is a fantastic find. Thanks to Jay, the reader who recommended it.