Natural Building and Community

PHOTO BY BARTON WILDER CUSTOM IMAGES WILDER CUSTOM BARTON BY PHOTO Natural Building and Building Community

by Jeanine Sih Christensen

Quiet Valley Ranch got a new chapel on I started writing about green building in 1994, started Chapel Hill. Logs were fi tted together inside the forks of the supporting posts. work at greenbuilder.com in 1996, later marrying its own- The local live oak timber used in the project was specifi cally harvested er and geek-in-chief, Bill Christensen. For over a decade I because those trees had died a natural have been involved in the green and natural building com- death. The cedar decking was site milled, and the juniper on the roof was munities, where I have made some friends, including many culled from the ranch. The hill-like living roof on this Hill Country chapel is made people mentioned in this article. Bill and I also performed of compost from Quiet Valley Ranch, publicity work, web work, taxi service, and loaned blan- native plants, and a sheet of pond liner to keep moisture away from the cedar kets and sheets for the Texas Natural Building Colloquium roof decking. In addition to the spiritual implications of having living roof on a in exchange for admission but with no fi nancial compensa- chapel, the earth provides a good insula- tion. My husband and I have performed paid work for both tive barrier between the sun and the chapel’s interior space. Center photo, Gayle Borst of Design~Build~Live and Pliny Fisk III of the above, by Leslie Moyer. All others on this page by Barton Wilder Custom Inages. Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems.

THE GOOD LIFE ■ WWW.GOODLIFEMAG.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2008 59 n a cold October a magic tie-in with the permaculture dra Welch of Austin-based Clay Sand morning, the second practices,” Wright said. “It all ties Straw and enthusiastic support crews. day of Texas’ fi rst in with what we’ve got going: reus- Welch took time out from a cob Natural Building Col- ing materials, relying on local materi- construction project in Lockhart to loquium, engineer and septic prob- als, cost saving. Colloquium projects talk about her history and a turn- Olem-solver extraordinaire Tom Wat- were labor intensive but this saves on ing point. “I was trained as a con- son of Embudo, New Mexico, sat sip- construction costs dramatically…a ventional architect. I did what I was ping hot chai under the metal roof of perfect match with our volunteer la- supposed to do: sit in an offi ce with the ranch canteen, which would end bor force. It just takes longer.” a computer. I was a CAD (comput- up feeding local, organic, vegetari- Frank Meyer of Austin-based er-aided design) monkey for one and an fare three times most days to more Thangmaker Construction compa- a half years.” She shook her head than a hundred people. I just had ny is a natural builder with long ex- and smiled. “I was at Princeton au- asked him about his ideas about deal- perience and a fair bit of media ex- diting a class with (sociologist) Rob- ing with a post-petroleum, weird-cli- posure. He’s been quoted in a New ert Gutman, the “Theories of Hous- mate, social upheaval kind of world, York Times article on earthen fl oors. ing and Urbanism” guy. He showed because in the years I’ve know him, His part-straw bale, part-bamboo, all- us a slide from the nineteen-fi fties: he’s been right about many things. heart home made the cover of Natu- ‘Best new product to improve your “Well,” he said, gesturing over his ral Home magazine. He’s also a pro- home: asbestos!’ I thought to my- steaming cup, “you couldn’t ask for fessional musician with three CDs out self, ‘What we are doing today that a better group of people to be with and stage time with some big names. we’ll regret in twenty, fi fty, a hun- when things get bad.” During the 2004 Kerrville Folk Festi- dred years?’ We’re dealing with the I had only to look at the rows of val, Meyer and a volunteer crew built sins of the past generation of build- people at the long wooden picnic ta- a limestone and cob oven for baking ers. And we’re trying not to create a bles, likewise hunched over steam- pizzas. (Cob is made of high-clay- crisis for future generations. I starting drinks and hot organic breakfasts, content soil, with straw, sand and wa- ed doing direct service design for… to feel his words ring true. The cre- ter, often mixed together by foot, then migrant workers and people in west dentials and successes of the natural applied and shaped by hand like pot- Philadelphia. What I learned was that builders and leaders all around us that ter’s clay.) “People were eating them the products of a building can be in- morning were impressive and reas- as fast as we could pull them out of cidental. It’s the process that makes suring. Learners were also abundant. the oven,” he said. something beautiful. Whenever I see Colloquium participants came from Meyer got the idea of holding a a carpentry project in progress, I have Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, California, natural building colloquium at the watched the people who know how to Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Col- ranch after noting the cob oven’s operate power tools literally push ev- orado, even New Orleans, Louisiana, warm reception. He had been to eight eryone else aside. When you have a and Brooklyn, New York, points be- previous natural building colloquia natural building, where mud gets in- tween, and all over Texas. I felt I was held all over the United States, and volved, everyone gets to come in and Frank Meyer of Thangmaker Construction A Straw, Wood, Stone and Mud Party at a Texas Ranch

on the set of an alternative lifestyle Ranch Manager Rick Wright said, knew their power to inspire and moti- work. Natural building is an inclusive movie called Mission: Possible, Fun “Everything out here in the last thir- vate. “I felt obligated,” he said, when process. It’s equalizing.” and Deeply Green. Lacking black le- ty-four years was built with volunteer asked why he took on the job of orga- Welch echoed Rick Wright on otards, fantastical electronics and rap- labor and donated materials. In the nizing the Texas colloquium. “No one costs for materials and labor common pelling equipment, our crowd car- last ten years we’ve replaced every else seemed to want to do it. We have to natural building projects but em- ried its own drinking mugs, and wore original building…Everything before wonderful resources here: caliche phasized the bigger picture. “When jeans, Guatemalan fabrics, waterproof had been portable buildings.” clay, juniper, limestone, and a huge you pay for materials from out of sandals, wool and polar fl eece. And In 2003 Wright began implement- chunk of population…(from) San An- state or the region, that’s money that much less long hair than you might ing permaculture practices and hold- tonio, Dallas, Houston.” And Austin vanishes. It can no longer be of local otherwise imagine. ing “Kerr-maculture” workshops at of course, one of the green building- benefi t. Natural building has small- Natural Building Colloquium: the ranch: composting, building soil, est towns there is. “Living sustain- er costs for materials and bigger la- Texas 2007 took place over ten wild reworking land contours to deter ero- ably is doable,” Meyer said. “It’s ex- bor costs. This means you’re feeding windy days at the end of October at sion, overhauling the ranch’s waste tremely important, and fun, and nec- your local economy.” Quiet Valley Ranch, near Kerrville. system to favor reusables, collect- essary if we are to survive. Natural But why help lead a natural build- The ranch, home of the well-known ing rainwater, recording ranch weath- building is a piece of that puzzle.” a-palooza of hands-on construction Kerrville Folk Festival and more, was er statistics, getting the ranch certi- Meyer spent nearly a year of projects, speakers with book sales already a work-in-progress. Volunteer fi ed organic. “This colloquium was preparation with co-organizer Kin- and PowerPoint presentations, night-

60 THE GOOD LIFE ■ WWW.GOODLIFEMAG.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2008 time drum circles and jam sessions, and says, ‘Start where you are now, fl oat trip, sauna, camping out together work with what you’ve got.’” on a ranch with novices, friends, and Richard Morgan is manager of Discovery colleagues? Austin Energy Green Building, the Architectural Antiques “When I agreed to help orga- program started in the early nineties The Largest Store of nize the colloquium, I had spent two that put Austin on the green build- its Kind in the USA years traveling and learning from oth- ing map. He noted common ground All antique—No Reproductions: er people. I wanted to get those peo- between natural building and the Stained Glass, ple together, and I wanted them to see green kind. “Green building and nat- Flooring, Beams, our natural building community in ural building both focus on sustain- Tubs, Sinks, Texas,” she said. “There were people able design. They both are place-spe- 6,000+ from northern California who came in cifi c and respond to location needs Doors, expecting the worst. One guy’s mom and climate. Both are about being 1,000+ said to him, ‘If you are going, bet- aware of how to meet needs in least Styles of Doorknobs, Hardware, ter put away those non-conformist T- intrusive ways,” he said. “We support Vintage Windows, Brick, Terra shirts. People in Texas don’t like peo- Design~Build~Live because we see Cotta, Light- ple like you.’” Welch said they were the value of natural building, appreci- ing, Medicine all pleasantly surprised in the end. ate the focus it places on good design, Cabinets, Tin Kindra Welch of Clay Sand Straw and the emphasis on locally extracted or Ceiling & more. Birds do it. Bees do it Gayle Borst of Design-Build-Live harvested materials, and a less mate- Over 140,000 Practically every animal that able land. The narrowed streets also rialistic lifestyle.” sq. ft. of builds its shelter does it with local reduced the heat-island effect. Brad’s Austin Energy Green Building was inventory stuff. Natural building materials are, ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures were also a colloquium sponsor. “Green under roof. by defi nition, materials found in na- amazing. Before, the strip of land Building (the program itself) has not ture and processed as little as is fea- by the road was hot, dry, uninviting made natural building a priority for 830-672-2428 sible. Ideally, those materials are on- desert. After, it was green, lush and several years now because we need to site. Lumber used in natural home walkable, with trees bearing fruit and focus our resources on areas that pro- www.discoverys.com construction comes from trees cleared mesquite beans that can be ground duce the greatest impact. Working 409 St. Francis, Gonzales, Texas from the site, deadfall harvested near- into high-protein fl our. He puts land- with more traditional builders to im- by, or salvaged locally from previ- scape into production on many levels, prove their designs and specifi cations Tiny Texas Houses ous construction. Wall systems, stem and shows how people of all econom- simply has a much greater impact on Vintage Portable Houses walls and fl oors are made of the stone ic strata are entitled to beauty and a energy, water and resource effi ciency.” One of a and soil excavated to level the site, or quality environment.” kind made from as close by as possible if, say, Borst sounded energized by the A natural building to last a you’re building with straw and your successes of projects not often asso- in the city? lifetime. own region just had a drought. Win- ciated with natural building’s image Is that even possible? dows, roofi ng, hardware are from lo- of scruffy hippies making whimsical Lest it seem that a natural build- Discovery is cal sources wherever possible, or recy- stick-and-mud huts. ing inside Austin is entirely out of the now build- cled or salvaged. Assembling natural Mark Lakeman of the City Re- question, consider the words of Dan building materials into a solid depend- pair Project in Portland, Oregon, and McNabb, who manages the Build- ing portable able house can be straightforward too, Lydia Doleman-Lakeman of Flying ing Inspections Division of the City guesthouses as long as the project gets the exper- Hammer Productions, also in Port- of Austin’s Watershed Protection and made from 95% recycled wood. tise it needs for long-term success. Yet land, are showing us what we could Development Review Department. We are using Antique Cypress, this applies to any building project. all do to build community, right now, “We’re open to (natural building). Long Leaf Pine, Oaks, Northern With natural building though, Borst said. “Their projects allow peo- We’ll inspect it. If there’s no provi- Pines and other vintage woods community is a core ingredient, and ple to build community starting from sion in the codes for whatever a nat- to create one of a kind Tiny not just from its barn-raising dy- wherever they are. Most of us live in ural building has, we would have to Texas Houses that are wired, namics during the construction neighborhoods, and City Repair has lean heavily on the design profession- plumbed and insulated to phase. Austin-based architect Gay- projects that prove natural building al and the rules for Alternate Meth- modern standards. Sizes range le Borst, longtime sustainability ad- is doable without having to move out ods of Compliance. A design profes- from 8’ x16’ to as large as 12’ x vocate and executive director of to the country, or make mud huts. In- sional can use any design from any- 20’ with the ability to put units Design~Build~Live, a nonprofi t that tentional communities are great, but where in the world, as long as it meets together to create a larger space co-sponsored this colloquium, put they require a tremendous amount of the adopted (City of Austin) code. more akin to the multi-gen- it in context. “Natural building is so work: you have to fi nd a suffi cient You have to have design profession- eration much more than natural materials and size piece of land and buy it, then als—a licensed structural engineer houses of resource effi ciency. Community and work with all the people who will live and licensed architect, both registered the past. social justice are major parts of natu- in the community during the design in Texas—sign off on the building de- Custom ral building and rightly so,” she said. phase, then build all those buildings. sign. Their job is to take the code, as Built to “Look at Brad Lancaster’s work in (A signifi cant number of intention- it exists, and make sure that all as- specs. blighted areas of Tucson. Brad is real communities and ecovillages such pects of the design, all the compo- ally out there working, doing things. as Earthaven, Emerald Earth, Danc- nents, comply.” Buildings occupying www.tinytexashouses.com ing Rabbit, The Farm Community in He reworked a strip of land by a road two hundred square feet or less don’t Models on site using curb cuts, dug up parts of the Tennessee, and Peaceweavers in New require permits, but they still have to 20501 IH-10, Luling, Tx. pavement to make the road narrow- York have natural buildings.) City comply with all the usual residential er, calming traffi c and reclaiming ar- Repair looks at urban communities permitting requirements like setbacks. 830-875-2500

THE GOOD LIFE ■ WWW.GOODLIFEMAG.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2008 61 Straw bale infi ll, one type of straw er of rubber membrane, and compost their homes with straw bales, then bale construction, is already permit- on top for growing plants. An am- pass the knowledge on. He described ted by Austin’s Land Development phitheater would get sculpted earth- straw bales as “adult Lego,” easy Code. A handful or two of such straw en plaster walls fl anking the front of to stack, and how tribes who grow bale houses already exist inside Aus- the stage. A VIP outhouse made of wheat are fi nding a secondary mar- tin’s city limits. For privacy reasons square-milled pine logs from Bas- ket for wheat straw, something they those addresses are not offered here trop would be crafted with tradition- would otherwise burn. due to problems with uninvited, ear- al timberframe techniques, looking Bob Gough of NativeEnergy Inc. nestly curious visitors who show up at Japanese in its precision and geome- based in Charlotte, Vermont, spoke all hours asking for tours from own- try, and joinery without hardware. A about tribes now using reservation land er-builders. (For straw bale info, see structure billed as a “roundwood ar- to generate wind-powered electricity accompanying “Resources” article.) tistic timberframe” was a commis- and their new hope for their future. Straw bale construction, especially sioned project for Chapel Hill, made A presentation by Penny Livings- the load-bearing type where unframed from massive deadfall timber taken ton started with giving thanks to ev- bale walls support the roof assem- from Quiet Valley Ranch and a neigh- ery possible life form in our universe, bly, is considered one natural building boring ranch, juniper planks, local a thanksgiving process from the “Six technique, as a wall system compris- Rick Wright, volunteer manager stones for footings, and a curvy liv- Nations” Native American tradition es only fi fteen percent of a typical res- of Quiet Valley Ranch ing roof. This project, jumping Athe- that she said is part of our own tradi- idential building. Straw bale walls by ical, energy and solar codes. Then na-like directly from the fertile mind tion since Ben Franklin took the Iro- themselves do not necessarily make there are another two six-inch books of SunRay Kelley from Sedro-Wool- quois governmental structure and pro- a building natural, especially if the called ‘Commentary.’ And then there ley, Washington, would be the site of cedure wholesale and modeled our building is overly large or uses exotic are all the overlays: restrictive cov- closing ceremonies for the colloqui- (U.S.) government after it. Represent- materials from far away. enants, neighborhood associations,” um, the scene of testimonials, wise ing her nonprofi t Regenerative Design Of the regulatory and other obsta- McNabb said. Clearly some compas- words, prayers, challenges and more Institute based in Bolinas, California, cles one might encounter when try- sion and patience on the part of both than a few tears. Livingston reviewed permaculture ing to construct, say, a cob building builder and city inspector is called for. Discussions and presentations giv- philosophy and fundamentals as well in Austin proper, McNabb said, “One en by the leaders of these colloquium as some of her own projects. problem (with natural building) is Hands-on natural building, projects and men and women from all Joseph Jenkins, slate roofer and ‘listings.’ Take Underwriter Labora- brains-on presentations over the natural building fi elds were better known as the author of The Hu- tories, they’re a listing agency. Most The number and scope of the Tex- offered day and night. It was simulta- manure Handbook: A Guide to Com- natural building materials and prod- as colloquium’s speakers and natu- neously a feast for the eyes, mind and posting Human Manure, brought the ucts don’t have enough safety test ral building projects were ambitious heart and total info overload. I wasn’t house down one night. He admit- data.” Upon hearing of two-hour fi re compared with other natural build- able to go to every one (I was shar- ted laughter is inevitable at a lecture tests performed in 2007 on earth-plas- ing colloquia I have attended. During ing child-care duty with other par- about poop. The slides of those huge tered straw bale walls at a San Anto- daylight hours, Quiet Valley Ranch ents). I did go to those stellar talks by cabbages in his vegetable garden, and nio testing facility, he said, “Great, projects were led by one or more ex- the aforementioned Brad Lancaster his unasked-for collection of pictures but that’s only one chapter out of for- perienced natural builders working and the folks from City Repair Proj- of people’s bucket toilets from all ty in the building codes. With natu- with colloquium attendees, some of ect. I also saw Janell Kapoor, a cob over the world, spoke for humanure’s ral buildings, there’s not one common whom worked in exchange for a re- builder from Kleiwerks Internation- real worth. Fearless Austinite Jenny construction method. We’re moving duced price for admission (regularly al in Asheville, North Carolina. She Nazak, a permaculture teacher and a forward faster than the industry and about three hundred to eight hundred showed slides of her own work, and “Shades of Green” team member host that’s a real problem.” dollars, depending on length of atten- those of ancient elegant mud build- on Austin’s KOOP 91.7 FM, led the Gayle Borst from Design~Build~ dance). Many projects would involve ings fi ve stories and taller in Yemen, colloquium-long humanure recovery Live added, “The limiting factor to joyously sloppy hand- or foot-mixing and the world’s largest mud mosque project, proving it can be done. natural building is a lack of natural (think “grape stomp”) of earth, straw, in Mali, challenging the notion that Ecological designer Art Ludwig building professionals. In our central sand and water, and squishing such natural buildings can’t be high-rises of Oasis Design based in Santa Bar- Texas region, I know of only one cob mixtures onto walls by the handful. or suitable for urban densities. bara, California, gave a well-attended builder, a few straw bale builders, and Post-colloquium, the structures would Mark Jensen, based in Bozeman, talk on how to safely use greywater— one compressed earth block build- serve as natural building ambassa- Montana, is construction program di- the water that drains out of every part er. I get a lot of people asking for this dors for every ranch visitor. The Staff rector for Red Feather Development of your house except the toilet—to from all over. I hear from them every Central building would have load- Group, a kind of Habitat for Native- raise food, support a lawn, and more. year at our booth at the Renewable bearing straw bale walls, roof truss- American Humanity living in sub- Tom Watson, a one-man outfi t, Energy Roundup.” es made from lumber reclaimed from standard reservation-housing. He gave a well-attended talk on septic so- McNabb pointed out the main pur- shipping pallets, an earthen fl oor and spoke about Pine Ridge Reservation’s lutions, his ever-evolving wicking pose of his department: “Life safety a metal roof. The Mixmaster Hut (an fi rst straw bale home for tribal elders septic system, and how to safely use is key. We have a very good safety re- icon among festival devotees) would built by Red Feather and University blackwater—that would be the water cord…and look what we’ve accom- be redone with a foundation of local- of Washington architecture students; draining from the toilet—to grow fruit plished with water conservation, low- ly harvested limestone, local ashe ju- a straw bale home for Cheyennes; a trees, feed and water landscaping. ered energy use, updated codes. There’s niper poles and boards milled on-site, straw bale study hall for Crow ele- Both Ludwig and Watson have a 2006 Uniform Solar Code that’s go- and walls of earthbags, compressed mentary and middle school students; hundreds of successful projects to ing into effect in January 2008.” earth block and cob. The pole barn even a straw bale tribal college. He their credit and the persuasive log- “The City’s building code book called Kidsville would get a cob ad- said that straw bale construction is ic borne of drought, water shortages, our inspectors use is four inches thick. dition covered by a living roof made unintimidating, so community mem- and the obvious folly of wasting nu- And we also inspect for compliance of more local juniper bandsawed into bers are willing to lend a hand, and trient-rich resources. Their question- with plumbing, electricity, mechan- planks with the bark left on, a lay- families quickly learn to how build and-answer periods lasted nearly as

62 THE GOOD LIFE ■ WWW.GOODLIFEMAG.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2008 long as their talks. the implementation of projects,” Austin green building pioneer Thauburn said. “Natural building Pliny Fisk III of the Center for Max- needs a convergence with the conven- imum Potential Building Systems tional disciplines to awaken the trades gave a talk about natural resourc- and code environments to the posi- es and the relativity of time itself tive possibilities inherent in alterna- that was so mind-bending I had to lie tive building methods. I felt the collo- down after it was over, and not be- quium in Kerrville looked like a good cause it was past my usual bedtime. possibility for connections. On a per- Matts Myhrman and Judy Knox sonal note, I was hopeful for fi nding a of Tucson, Arizona, two longtime pi- community of spiritual beings intend- oneers of the straw bale construction ing a kinder and more compassion- PHOTO BY JEANINE SIH CHRISTENSEN SIH JEANINE BY PHOTO PHOTO BY DAVID EISENBERG DAVID BY PHOTO revival who operate Out on Bale (un) Austin architect Ben Obregon applies earth- Interior of load-bearing straw bale house ate reality. From my early arrival for Ltd. and are authors of several straw en plaster to exterior of straw bale wall. showing plastic mesh compression straps. logistical issues to my last day there, bale building books, came to give a the Quiet Valley Ranch was a soak in historical talk and to dignify collo- both agendas.” quium proceedings. On the last night Rick Wright, Ranch manager, of the colloquium, Knox said, “We said, “I knew (the colloquium) was are the people we have been waiting going to be a lot more work than any- for…natural building needs its cham- one imagined. I walked away with pions,” exhorting those gathered to more friends than I know what to do get out and do good. with. And we still need to do the fol- Kaki Hunter and Doni Kiffmey- low-up, to help fi nish projects.” er of OK OK OK Productions, earth- “Exposure to new ideas, tech- bag (also called “superadobe”) build- niques, philosophies and people” and ers and educators out of Moab, Utah, “hands-on experience and contacts” spoke to well over a hundred folks in and “a chance to catch up with col- a packed room about amazingly sol- leagues and friends” were the most id buildings built with many stacked common of the seventy-seven respons- woven plastic bags—or one contin- es to an ongoing e-mail survey af- uously coiled bag—fi lled with earth. ter the colloquium asking participants Their many years of experimenta- what they got from the colloquium. tion and creativity in locales without hardware stores or most ordinary Subverting the hand tools showed the true evolution IMAGES WILDER CUSTOM BARTON BY PHOTO dominant paradigm, This load-bearing straw bale hybrid house sits on a stem wall of limestone collected of their fi eld. from the building site,and features roof trusses made of wood salvaged from shipping still crazy after “Their technique was fascinat- pallets. The exterior has earthen plaster on three sides, with the fourth--the front of the all these years ing, as was the role in their com- building--consisting of straw-clay and site-milled cedar lath. One of two talks given by Da- munities, a real example of natu- vid Eisenberg, director of the Devel- ral building bringing cultures to- dedication of these crusaders.” pus Christi,” he said. “The fi eld I opment Center for Appropriate Tech- gether,” said Effi e Brunson, a sus- Bruce Thauburn, a commercial work in has a rigid and formalized nology in Tucson, Arizona, was “Still tainable development coordinator construction cost estimator from Cor- construction process, so fi nding this Subverting the Dominant Paradigm: for a commercial real estate devel- pus Christi, was also attending his casual fl owing method of building The Further Adventures of DCAT.” opment company and a board mem- fi rst natural building colloquium. “I was a contrast worthy of consider- A self-described “recovering build- ber of Design~Build~Live. This was was searching for sanity in the evo- ation. I feel the conventional construc- ing contractor,” Eisenberg has led the her fi rst natural building colloquium. lution of construction methods to aid tion world needs more heart, intuition effort to create a sustainable context “Yes, there were hippies there, but our company’s implementing im- and respect for our mother planet. for building codes since 1995, and they were all very together hippies,” provements in the Parks and Recre- “The natural building world could in November 2007 received a Lead- Brunson said. “I am fl oored by the ation Department for the City of Cor- use a more disciplined approach in ership Award from the U.S. Green High speed is for your food processor... Add Beauty to Your Home Not your life. • New Installation of FREE Calming Web Design Garage Doors Estimates • Fully Insured Bring calmness and clarity to your web site. No smoke • Showroom Open to the Public and mirrors. 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THEHE GOOGOODD LIFE ■ WWWW.GOODLIFEMAG.COMWW.GOODLIFEMAG.COM ■ FFEBRUARYEBRUARY 20082008 63 Building Council. Taking a midweek methods, a “looking beyond the lim- break from the colloquium, he drove its of just keeping bad things from to Austin with Frank Meyer, Kin- happening by enabling good things dra Welch, Mark Lakeman and Pen- to happen.” He said that having our ny Livingston and together they met planet go down the tubes was “be- with Mayor Will Wynn, a promising neath the dignity of our species” and sign of more fun to come. affi rmed that human responsibility is Eisenberg willingly spoke at the also human empowerment. colloquium about the dark future that If having hope is the one truly rad- we all face if environmental problems ical act, it’s a wonder the FBI wasn’t don’t get solved—fast. “We need to there that minute, investigating each be talking about this not just between one of us and that DCAT guy up front ourselves, but with offi cials and pol- who was showing slides of his grand- iticians, people who have real im- son and asking what kind of world pact right now on a lot of lives. We we’re leaving for all children, and have to start putting handles on all their children, everywhere. this scary stuff that’s hard to deal with, like global warming, pollution Jeanine Sih Christensen aims for and peak oil.” He said he saw posi- a deeper, darker green life with each tive changes in how building offi cials passing day. You may e-mail Jeanine treat people with alternative building at [email protected]. Resources This subjective list of natural building web sites (with emphasis given to central Texas applicability) was tempered with the idea that most people reading this do not have a few acres in the country to go build some groovy natural dream home. City Repair Project—Mark Lakeman and Lydia Doleman-Lakeman work with their fellow Portlanders in this community nonprofi t, which has a web site that barely does justice to their methods and results. Check out their many inspiring urban projects and a lovely list of potential projects that would make sense in any urban area. For details visit www.cityrepair.org or call 503-235-8946. Clay Sand Straw—The natural building company is run by Kindra Welch, an Aus- tin-based natural builder and workshop leader who has declared 2008 the year of fi nish- ing her natural building projects, so there are abundant volunteer opportunities in Texas to learn aspects of natural building. For more information visit www.claysandstraw.com or call 512-663-3166. Design~Build~Live—This Austin nonprofi t was one of the co-sponsors of the col- Discounts Up to 40% on loquium, and helped the colloquium’s organizers. DBL hosts monthly talks by presenters on sustainable topics at Casa de Luz and archives its many previous newsletters and presenters’ highlights on-line. For details see www.designbuildlive.org or call 512-478-9033. Auto Insurance with Brad Lancaster—This author, speaker, dryland permaculturist and community activ- ist has a rich web site, with info a close-ish match with our own climate if not soils. On his site you’ll fi nd his speaking schedule, an avalanche of useful info and resources for cre- ating a paradise in arid places, and his three books for sale. A 2006 presentation of his at State Farm http://www.civanoneighbors.com/docs/presentations/23July2006_RainWaterHarvesting_ Civano.pdf covers some material he presented at the colloquium. For more information visit www.harvestingrainwater.com or e-mail [email protected]. Natural Building Colloquium—The 2007 colloquium is fi nished, but the offi cial site has a list of all presenters, with links to their own sites as well as good defi nition of what such a colloquium is about. (Disclosure: this writer and her husband do unpaid volunteer work for this site.) For more information visit www.naturalbuildingtexas.org. Regenerative Design Institute—Well-known West Coast permaculturist, author and teacher Penny Livingston has several gigs and web sites that keep us informed of projects, crew, classes and engagements. Her bioregion differs from that of central Texas, but her natural building and permaculture aims come with good overviews. Her assertion of the origins of our current system of federal government is corroborated and partially covered in this in scholarly piece: www.campton.sau48.k12.nh.us/iroqconf.htm as well as the 500 Nations PBS documentary. For more info about Livingston and her work, visit www. regenerativedesign.org or call 415-868-9681. Straw bale construction—Curious about what straw bale building actually is, and where a bit of our federal tax money goes, all at the same time? Check out the U.S. De- partment of Energy’s well-written, detailed overview of straw bale building at www.eere. energy.gov/buildings/info/components/envelope/framing/strawbale.html. And if you are still curious, consider going to a bale-raising, where straw bale construction is usually Nancy Callahan, Callahan AAgent done with volunteer labor led by a “straw boss.” Visit the web site for The Last Straw for a large, active calendar of natural building events, including straw bale and permaculture, at www.strawhomes.com. 512-451-7573 Thangmaker—A sing-n-build business operated by Frank Meyer, longtime natural builder and musician based in south Austin. On his web site you’ll fi nd his projects, his areas of expertise, and brief overviews on different natural building techniques. Leap at any www.nancyjocallahan.com chance to go to one of his slideshows, because he’s got a great eye for images. For more information visit www.thangmaker.com or call 512-916-8100. [email protected] —Jeanine Sih Christensen

64 THE GOOD LIFE ■ WWW.GOODLIFEMAG.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2008