Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

96 Designing ecological Habitats
When building
with local materials
– including many
gathered right there
on site – the structure
blends into the
landscape. It belongs
there.
house is being increasingly replaced by a post and beam structure where the
bales are used as infill.
SB houses have the advantage of being built from an organic, renewable
material. SBs breathe, depending upon the plaster you apply, and have an
insulation far higher than that which is generally demanded by building
codes. The actual wall construction, both bales and plaster, requires a
group effort by people who need no special skills, though they do need an
experienced guide.
Natural Fibres
Today the tipi and the yurt have made a comeback in alternative circles, and
are viable forms of quick and relatively cheap housing. Wool, cotton, linen,
silk, sisal, jute, rayon, kapok and coir are all worth considering.
Hemp used to be produced in vast quantities in many parts of the world
and was the basis for rope and coarse material for literally millennia. As a
crop, it requires very little protection against pests and diseases, and as a
product, it would fit perfectly into a system which wants to grow and use
organic, natural fibres.
Generally, fibres would form components of your indoor fittings rather
than the materials from which you build, for example: curtains, carpets, wall
hangings and lots more, not to mention clothes, bedclothes, towels, etc.
Paints
Paints consist of a pigment floating in a liquid, either water or oil, and today
can contain many compounds which are a hazard to our health.
If you can, find suppliers of natural paints and varnishes. These suppliers
exist in small numbers and are following a pattern not so different from the
organic food market of a couple of decades ago.