The Women’s Natural Building Collective in Portugal is run by a core group of experienced natural builders. They organize workshops for people to learn how to build ecological houses with local natural materials like earth, straw and timber.
They discovered that there was something undeniably magical about the way they work and communicate together when there are only women, but this doesn’t mean they only work with women. Only two workshops a year are women-only; the rest are open to all.
The main reaction from the attendees is that it becomes like common sense to build in this way. Adi says: “Because if all these people, from all these places, with all these ages and all these cultural differences, all agree that this makes sense, then it’s very likely that it can be our future.”
According to Lola, it all starts with changing our limited belief systems. She says: “I grew up in the western society that told me that I am a woman and therefore I can only do ABC. But then I go and I try things and, actually, I can build a shelter with my hands. It reflects on many other areas of life. What else am I capable of that I never thought possible?”
When they work with women, they adjust the work to the levels of energy women have in their monthly cycle. They design houses and have some set models. They also curate for different projects according to the needs of the land and the people.
Lola says: “What we try to do when we design buildings is that we really try and understand the landscape. Really understand it. Not just take a few pictures, but understand every single energy that comes onto that site, that moves through that site, every shadow that’s created, where the wind is coming from, the sun angles, the temperature variations. So that the house is designed properly and climate specifically, so it’s designed for exactly the place where it’s going to live, and the walls and the roof and the floor, everything responds to that environment.”
For them it is clear that earth buildings can be anywhere in the world. And for them an important note is that it does not have to be a hobbit house. There are very beautiful examples of really modern-looking houses. Everything is possible once you have learned the basic techniques.
Melodie is drawn to natural building, sustainable craftsmanship and creative problem-solving. She is also the one who is good with numbers, so she does most of the calculations. She likes sharing her skills and building other people’s confidence.
Lola discovered natural building in 2010 and it has been her life’s work since. She trained in fine art and sculpture, took a postgraduate qualification in education, and spent nine years in Thailand. She founded the collective to empower women through natural building.
Adi came to Portugal ten years ago to look after a friend’s garden, after working in a flower shop in the city, and stayed. She works in permaculture, natural building and regenerative living, and holds space for the group, bringing presence and care.
You can read the original article at www.theportugalnews.com