Lime-plastered cob wall of the Garden Cabin
Yestermorrow Natural Building Intensive '07
Natural building is a building philosophy which highly values social and environmental sustainability. Natural building emphasizes simple, easy-to-learn techniques based on locally-available, renewable resources that are inherently non-toxic and safe for us and the planet. Natural building is not new, but it is a revolutionary way to build a sustainable world.
The modern conventional building industry has grown within the last century to be seen as the "normal" way to build. But, it is still a new philosophy of building. Its building practices rely on mass-produced standardized materials with a high embodied energy, massive transport of materials, and designs that revolve around churning out fast-to-build, cookie-cutter houses. In turn, our environments, our local building economies, and our local culture have suffered.
Little child make cob
SGNB workshop Thailand '07
Natural building is different than "green building". Although both attempt to design sustainable structures, they approach the building process differently. Green building places an emphasis on technological solutions and energy efficiency. Although there are appropriate technologies, and energy efficiency is indeed very important, green building often does not look at the total building process, or the complete life cycle of a building. Green building still relies on mass- produced standardized materials, and the transport of those materials. Natural building looks to ancient and timeless ways of building as a model of building for future generations. Natural building looks at the big picture, from a building's inception and the energy used to create the materials, to how the materials will return to the earth at the end of the building's life.
Natural building emphasizes simplicity of design and community involvement as part of the building process. Natural building can be practiced by the yound or old, the novice builder or the experienced craftsperson. It is a "hands-on", organic and local way to build, allowing localities to sustain their uniqueness and craft a building responsive to their specific climate, culture, and style. Through natural building we can affect a change in our society, by building locally-centered economies and sustainable cultures.
Permaculture is an approach to design in accordance with natural systems. It seeks to design from a holistic perspective, looking at every part of an ecosystem, and seeing how all the parts of the system relate to each another. It then seeks to restore broken systems, by creating a link between the broken system and systems that have a long history of sustainability. In effect, permaculture is about healing our broken ecosystems through holistic design, and integrating man-made systems with the sustainable environment.
Permaculture focuses on three principle core values, which remain a constant no matter the scale of the project. These core values are:
Treating the Earth with the upmost respect and care, recognizing that we are a part of and not seperate from the ecosystems that we inhabit, therefore designing and living in sustainable ways in balance with our natural habitats.
Treating the limited natural resources that the Earth has with care, insuring that the resources are used in a just and equitable manner. Only through the just sharing of resources can we as a society live in harmony with each other and with the planet as a whole.
Finally, supporting each other as one people to transform our lifestyles away from habits that harm ourselves and/or the planet, and toward creating healthy people, healthy societies, and a healthy Earth.
Renewable energy is a necessity for a sustainable future. Our society is undergoing a technological revolution as we explore creating power from renewable sources. Solar energy is becoming more cost-effective and efficient. Wind power is growing and powering whole communities. Micro-hydro technology now offers low impact hyrdo-electric power.
Designers and builders are also thinking more about the efficiency of their buildings, designing homes with passive solar strategies, super insulation, and energy efficient windows and doors. All these techniques are vital for using less energy, and every new home should be designed with these techniques and strategies in mind. Through wasting less and by harnassing renewable sources of energy, we can begin to minimize our impact on the planet.
Water is our most precious natural resource. Not only does every person in the world need it to survive, but every living organism must have it to live. Most of the world's water is not readily available fresh water, and most of the world's water is already polluted. Water shortages are already a growing global problem causing social, economic, and ecological injustice.
Saving water and using wisely is essential if we are to remain on this planet. We can begin to do this through simple ways, every day. Being conscious of our water usage, installing water-saving fixtures, using low-flow or waterless composting toilets, installing rain collection systems, and designing our lawns and landscaping to be less water-intensive, are all wonderful steps to begin treating water as the precious gift that it is.
