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Chapter 21BUILDINGOn my 34 th birthday August 16 th 2000, we visited the site of our new home. Theinitial excavation work for the foundation had been done, and the devastation to theearth, to our favorite picnic spot the place where we dreamed of a kitchen cameas quite a shock. The deep hole was gigantic. I remember thinking to myself, Ohmy god, this is real. I said to Leigh, I was just kind of dreamingI wasnt reallysure it could be done. This was my sense after seeing the results of my dreamscoming true. It was truly a great shock, and one that still surprises me.Trying to find a builder open to the challenges of a natural home provedsurprisingly easy for us to fi nd. While Martin Liefhebber, our architect suggested abuilder, Leigh had found, through discussion with her hair dresser, that a friend ofhers was a builder. In fact, this builder actually lived near the property. This as itturned out, was a critical mo ment. We met Colin Richards, toured homes he hadbuilt in northern Ontario, and decided he was the right choice. Colin told us that hehad been building homes for thirty years. He was looking for a challenge, somethingnew and different. Although the essen tials of a natural home can be quiteconventional, in the case of our home, post and beam construction. The use ofstraw bales, solar panels and a green roof were not conventional.Colin is a big man, with very large paws for hands, and a com forting, confidentswagger. Speaking with Colin you get the sense that there is nothing to worryabout, that he has figured it out before and will again. Over laying his confidence isan easy going, laid back attitude. Leigh and I both felt Colin was the right choice interms of his experience, willingness and interest in new ideas, and perhaps most ofall his easy going confident manner. We knew wed being working together formany months through some tough phases. We both felt that the relationship wouldwork. In hindsight this sense of trust and comfort with the relationship provedcritical. Many custom home construction projects I am aware of have been derailedby difficulties in with the owner/builder relationship. This relationship required that233