“The construction of a small single-family home twenty kilometers north of Kigali, Rwanda is now complete. The building is demure: three small bedrooms, a modest living room, and a space for cooking. Poor material availability and financial limitations meant that practicality was its primary design muse.
natural materials
Huts on Ekopedia
“A hut is a temporary shelter built with materials found nearby. It is generally built manually in a natural environment with local materials : branches, leaves, logs, bushes, etc. … Less commonly, it can also be made of materials such as metal (iron), cloth or plastic (sheeting), and be located in an unnatural area such as a backyard or on the water (stilts).
Earthen Yurt
“This earthen yurt was built as part of the ‘sustainable shelter series’ at Aprovecho. The yurt is made from site harvested bamboo lashed together using recycled bailing twine. It features a reciprocal roof, meaning that every beam is supported by all the beams in front, and in turn supports all behind it. (A fantastic analogy for community!)
Natural Building Materials and Methods
Chris Dancey put together a video titled Natural Building Overview that shows many different natural building options. The screenshot above was taken from his video. I like the chart because it shows at a glance the various natural building materials and methods in an organized way.
Natural Building Options for Tiny Trailer Homes
Question: What are some good natural material options for tiny trailer homes?
Owen: Good options include cellulose or wool insulation (especially in the roof), straw/clay wall insulation with wood siding or paneling on both sides. Exterior grade vertical groove plywood siding is a popular choice (T-111). On top of this you could add trim boards to create a more pleasing batt and board appearance.
Natural Home Interiors
“Most of us live in very conventional homes with smooth, plasterboard walls, nice square corners, regulation height ceilings and perfectly symmetrical windows. They’re nice, they’re neat, but if we really, really look at them, most of our houses are very boring. On the other hand, we have ‘natural homes’. Sure there might be lots of dust traps, but they appeal to the human side of our soul… that side that knows we are a part of nature. That’s why most of us find ‘natural homes’ strangely appealing.