This amazing video by architect Gordan Clarke is very enlightening and inspiring. Note the keywords in the title — Traditional Green Building. That’s a key concept often missing in today’s green building movement, where granite countertops are imported from Italy, exotic woods from far off jungles are turned into furniture, etc. to build high end ‘eco mansions’. In contrast, this video shows how simple, natural and affordable housing can be.
natural building
Venetian Cistern/ Well
One simple way to collect and store potable water is with a Venetian cistern. In ancient times, Venetian cisterns were often constructed in courtyards near homes for easy access.
Biochar Plaster and Biochar Bricks
Biochar, a highly porous material produced from plant waste, is mostly used in agriculture as a soil conditioner, in livestock farming as a feed supplement, and in metalworking as a reducing agent. The latest developments at the Ithaka Institute are now focusing on its use as a building material.
Bringing Earthbags to the People – A New, Democratic Approach to Sustainable Building
by Kateryna Zemskova and Nathan Belofsky
Earthbag technology builds safe, appealing, and cost-effective structures out of ordinary soil. Stronger, cheaper, and less harmful to the environment than conventional building techniques like brick and cement, Earthbag technology is generally considered the most promising of sustainable building techniques. But despite widespread support among environmental groups and eco-builders, this method is shunned by governments and remains virtually unknown to everyday building professionals and the public.
Learn Natural Building for Free – Volunteer Opportunities Worldwide
This couple spent a month in Transylvania helping to build organic houses. This project used straw bales, timber frame, clay plaster, stone and thatch roofing. The materials will differ according to the climate, culture, etc. This is a great way to learn natural building for free, because you learn by doing without an overly long, hard schedule.
First ‘Living Home’ in New Zealand
Architectural designer Craig Jarvis is building the home for his family in accordance with the principles of the Living Building Challenge (LBC).