The first highly illustrated, comprehensive guide to light straw clay - a high performance, low-impact, durable building materialLight straw clay - straw mixed with clay slip - is a versatile, easy-to
Poor heat and moisture management are the enemies of durable, comfortable, and efficient housing, and good building design and construction starts with a solid understanding of good building science.E
Hempcrete is a versatile, energy-efficient natural insulation material, useful for walls, roofs and floors. Made from the inner stem of the hemp plant mixed with a lime-based binder, it is a very stro
Prefabricated straw bale wall panels combine the performance and low environmental impact of traditional straw bale with reduced labor and more consistent results. These structural insulated panels (S
Cordwood building--log-ends set in insulated mortar--is a versatile, economical, low-impact, and beautiful building method. Its durability and performance has been proven in beautiful, centuries-old b
Earthbag construction -- building with polypropylene bags usually filled with earthen materials -- is a versatile, easy-to-master, low-impact, and highly durable form of building, suitable for structu
A veritable cookbook of natural plaster recipes and techniques for beautiful, durable finishes Natural plasters made of clay, lime, and other materials mixed with sand are beautiful building finishes.
Design a rainwater harvesting system for any home in any climate.Water is a crucial resource increasingly under stress. Yet rainfall, even in arid climates, can make up a sizable portion of any home,
From wastestream to mainstream, a practical guide to composting toilet systems.Composting toilets are a key feature for local resilience, money saving, water conservation, resource recovery, septic sy
Design your own sustainable homeMany people dream of building a beautiful, environmentally friendly home. But until now there has been no systematic guide to help potential builders work through the c
Everything you need to know to build with rammed earth in warm and cold climates. Rammed earth - sand, gravel, and clay or lime/cement binder packed into forms - is a low-energy, high-performance bui
