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A Publication of BuildingGreen, Inc. www.BuildingGreen.com Volume 14, Number 5 · May 2005

The Natural Building Movement In This Issue Feature Article ...... 1 UILDING MATERIALS HAVE more . In a paper titled “Using • The Natural Building undergone a breakneck evolution in Less Wood in ,” Ann Edminster, Movement B- the past century. Standard dimen- architect and principal of Design AVEnues sions and shapes, predictable qualities, and and co-chair of the U.S. Green Building What’s Happening ...... 2 manufactured precision make it quicker Council’s LEED® Homes committee, wrote • Harvard Bridges the Gap and easier to design and construct new that “fussy, trendy, anachronistic roofl ines, Between Capital and buildings with laser-fl at walls, straight and cupolas, and turrets [in] contemporary sub- Operations Budgets sharp corners, and glass-smooth fl oors. divisions are palliative attempts at endow- • Dark-Sky Association Begins For most people, the more crisp, precise, ing these spiritless developments with aes- Certifying Products and shiny a building is, the more perfect it thetic substance.” Inside, occupants spice • Newsbriefs is. However, there are those who feel that up bland interiors however they can. Awards the increased standardization and predict- By contrast, the stimulating charms of & Competitions ..... 5 ability of building materials has resulted pre-industrial, “old-world” construction in our built environment becoming sterile, • Award Briefs and indigenous include a uninspiring, and uninspired. That’s not • Winners Announced nonuniform visual character inherent in really a revelation; half a century ago, Frank in Green Dollhouse the materials and processes used. The Lloyd Wright wrote that “new machine-age Competition irregularity of the underlying materials resources . . . [do] not require that all build- • AIA Honors 2005 contributes in unexpected ways to both fi n- ings be of steel, , or glass.” Green Projects ish and structure. Light catches and plays The symptoms of boring architecture are on hand-plastered walls; subtly imper- Then & Now: 1995-2005 ...... 8 treated in many ways, often by adding fect fl oors offer sensory interest; unusual corners lend variety. • A Strawboard Manufacturing Update Combining this aesthet- From the Library ...... 15 ic with excellent thermal performance, longevity, • The Company We Keep occupant comfort and Calendar ...... 16 satisfaction, and a keen eye toward deep envi- ronmental concerns— and the ability to do it Quote of the month: cost-effectively—is a “[While right now] natural challenge that the natu- building looks like a little ral building movement tiny niche movement endeavors to meet. But that’s about sort of quirky an aesthetic appeal is stuff, I actually think it’s about some of the most certainly not the only important, fundamental driver—many natural things we need to buildings are virtually relearn and reinvent.” indistinguishable at David Eisenberg, director of a glance from normal the Development Center for Looking out a window and door of a stone home in East Meredith, NY, construction; they have: Appropriate Technology built by Clark Sanders, builder and teacher of strawbale, cob, and other (page 14) natural materials. Photo: Sarah Machtey (continued on p. 9) What’s Happening

Environmental Building News Executive Editor · Alex Wilson Editor · Nadav Malin What’s Happening Senior Editor · Jessica Boehland Associate Editor · Mark Piepkorn Art Director · Julia Jandrisits Harvard Bridges the Gap Green Campus Initiative. The Initia- Publisher · Dan Woodbury tive has funded over 40 conservation Outreach Director · Jerelyn Wilson Between Capital and projects, with an estimated return on Director of Online Services · Jim Newman Webmaster · Ethan Goldman Operations Budgets investment of 28%. The most popu- GreenSpec Manager · Angela Battisto In March 2005, Harvard University lar projects involved upgrades to Financial Manager · Willie Marquart launched a Green Building Loan lighting and lighting controls. Other Circulation Department capital investments supported by the Charlotte Snyder, Mgr. · Martha Swanson Fund. This $3 million fund for new construction projects is modeled fund include mechanical-system up- Advisory Board grades, irrigation controls, and pho- John Abrams, Chilmark, MA on an existing fund that supports Bob Berkebile, FAIA, Kansas City, MO tovoltaics. By far the best short-term John Boecker, AIA, Harrisburg, PA retrofits and reno- Terry Brennan, Rome, NY vations—the Green Bill Browning, Hon. AIA, Rappahannock, VA Campus Loan Fund. Nancy Clanton, P.E., Boulder, CO Raymond Cole, Ph.D., , BC Both are revolving David Eisenberg, Tucson, AZ funds that provide Harry Gordon, FAIA, Washington, DC capital for invest- John L. Knott, Jr., Dewees Island, SC Malcolm Lewis, Ph.D., P.E., Irvine, CA ments in energy and Gail Lindsey, FAIA, Raleigh, NC resource efficiency Joseph Lstiburek, P.E., Westford, MA Sandra Mendler, AIA, San Francisco, CA and get repaid by Greg Norris, Ph.D., N. Berwick, ME claiming a share of Russell Perry, AIA, Charlottesville, VA the savings. In doing Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, Austin, TX Bill Reed, AIA, Arlington, MA so, they help to over- Jonathan Rose, Katonah, NY come a hurdle faced Marc Rosenbaum, P.E., Meriden, NH Michael Totten, Washington, DC by many institutions Gail Vittori, Austin, TX in which fi xed capi- Photo: Jessica Woolliams tal budgets make it The Landmark Center in Boston, a former Sears, Roebuck and Co. ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING NEWS (ISSN 1062- warehouse, now houses the Harvard School of Public ’s 3957) is published monthly by BuildingGreen, Inc. diffi cult to invest in 42,000 ft2 (3,900 m2) offi ces, which were certifi ed under the EBN does not accept advertising. Subscriptions efficiency improve- are $99/year, $199 for companies with 25 or more LEED for Commercial Interiors pilot program in 2004. employees. Outside North America add $30. ments, even when Periodicals postage paid at Brattleboro, Vt. and at those improvements additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send can yield very attractive returns. address changes to Environmental Building News, returns, however, were achieved by 122 Birge St., Ste 30, Brattleboro, VT 05301. A third fund, for investments in re- newable energy for campus activities, programs aimed at changing student Copyright © 2005, BuildingGreen, Inc. All rights behavior. The Go Cold Turkey pro- reserved. No material in this newsletter may be was also established in March. photocopied, electronically transmitted, or other- gram, for example, gets students to wise reproduced by any means without written Harvard’s $2.8 million Green Cam- sign pledges that they will turn off permission from the Publisher. 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However, the information presented CS Pilot” (EBN Vol. 14, No. 4), we other organizations get by contract- in EBN, by itself, should not be relied on for fi nal misidentifi ed the developer of the ing with energy service companies design, engineering, or building decisions. New or Xihu Tiandi Development Project unusual details should be discussed with building (ESCOs). By providing these services offi cials, architects, and/or engineers. (Phase Two). 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2 Environmental Building News · May 2005 What’s Happening

Leith Sharp, director of the Harvard School has been the biggest client is chaos.” To remedy this problem, Green Campus Initiative, which ad- of the Green Campus Loan Fund, IDA has initiated a Fixture Seal of ministers the funds. In contrast, she accounting for 40% of the fund’s Approval Program, administered by notes, “an ESCO takes what it learns investments. “We’ve seen the entire Hanslep, to provide third-party cer- away with it.” [Business] School turn the corner and tifi cation for luminaires that avoid start using less energy—for the fi rst polluting the night sky with light. Aside from major trends, such as time ever,” notes Sharp. – NM energy use by an entire school, me- While IDA has long maintained tered savings are not available for For more information: an informal list of “good fi xtures” most funded projects. “We can’t get on its website, the new certifica- Leith Sharp, Director actual metered data on account of tion system is more rigorous. In Harvard Green Campus Initiative the amount of ‘noise’ in the building Harvard University order to be considered for certifi ca- data,” says Sharp. The metered data is 617-496-0922 tion, a manufacturer must submit affected by variations in occupancies, [email protected] photometry data from any testing other renovations, new equipment, www.greencampus.harvard.edu lab, including a manufacturer’s in- events, and weather, making it too house lab, as long as the lab has been hard to tease out which changes stem approved by the National Institute from the projects themselves, accord- Dark-Sky Association of Standards and Technology. IDA ing to Sharp. Instead, Harvard uses a Begins Certifying Products analyzes the upward light output system of peer-reviewed engineering ratio (ULOR) of the fi xture. At this calculations and usage assumptions Heather Winters, owner and presi- point, IDA is considering only full- to estimate savings. Overall, “we’ve dent of AC Lighting Design in cutoff and fully shielded fi xtures, estimated a greenhouse gas reduc- Coolidge, Arizona, is passionate and will certify a fi xture only if it tion equivalent to 5% of 2003 campus about cleaning up light pollu- allows zero lumens of light emissions,” notes Sharp. tion. “It just makes sense, above its horizontal plane. even for people who are IDA’s defi nition of full- After several years of managing the not astronomers,” she cutoff is slightly less fund, Sharp is convinced that it is told EBN. “These are stringent than the Illu- staff time, not money, that represents things that the average minating Engineering the biggest barrier to investments in Joe can connect with: Society of North Amer- conservation and efficiency. In re- ‘Hey, my neighbor’s ica (IESNA) defi nition, sponse, the Harvard Green Campus lights are blazing into so a fi xture could be IDA- Initiative offers a range of services to my window,’ or ‘I’d like to Approved without meeting the university at cost. Among these go out and do some stargaz- IESNA’s recommendations. But, services has been the initial research ing.’” Truly dark skies are becoming according to Hanslep, “it would be and development on technologies increasingly rare. But, with the help a real rarity.” including biodeisel, green cleaning of the green building movement, the products, digital irrigation controls, general public and designers like high-performance HVAC and light- Winters are beginning to learn why ing systems, and water conservation. dark skies are important and how to “The Loan Fund will not work alone. protect them. For more on light pol- It must work in concert with a ser- lution, see EBN Vol. 7, No. 8. vice-oriented business model that can introduce and carry the time burden As awareness of light pollution of new ideas—up until the point that spreads, so do claims from manu- they are not new ideas anymore, and facturers that their fi xtures aren’t the time burden becomes integrated part of the problem. “While manu- as good management,” says Sharp. facturers are producing more attrac- tive, quality-designed fi xtures which “There are really big savings to be they are deeming ‘dark sky friendly,’ had in almost all buildings on cam- there has been a lack of industry con- pus,” notes Sharp who cites “building sensus on just what that appellation upgrades, better controls, continuous means,” according to Derek Hanslep, commissioning and better manage- technical assistant at the nonprofi t Photo: AC Lighting Designs ment, and continuous occupant edu- International Dark-Sky Association cation” as the best ways of achieving This ceramic fi xture, from AC Lighting (IDA), based in Tucson, Arizona. Designs, was among the fi rst to earn IDA’s those savings. The Harvard Business “Without a standard,” he says, “there Seal of Approval.

Volume 14, Number 5 · Environmental Building News 3 What’s Happening

IDA charges $20 for each photometric drinking water of several Ohio and billion in medical costs and economic fi le submitted, in addition to a one- West Virginia communities with losses each year, according to EPA’s time $500 registration fee for each perfl uorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also own analysis. “EPA has abdicated manufacturer. Once a product has known as C8, which is used to manu- its public health responsibilities by been certifi ed, IDA adds the manu- facture Tefl on® and other products glomming onto a voluntary pro- facturer’s name to a list on its website, (see EBN Vol. 13, No. 6). Some of the gram without a scintilla of evidence and the manufacturer may use the money will fund an independent that their preferred ‘non-regulatory IDA-Approved™ logo to advertise study of the health implications of approach’ works,” says Jeff Ruch, its product. Nine manufacturers, in- exposure to C8. More than 800,000 executive director of Public Employ- cluding AC Lighting Design, already people drank contaminated water ees for Environmental Responsibil- advertise IDA-Approved products. for more than a year and will be ity (PEER), which has threatened to Each new certifi cation is valid for paid for submitting questionnaires sue for the adoption of the original three years or until the manufacturer and blood samples for testing. If re- regulations. More information is changes the design. searchers link C8 to any human dis- online at www.peer.org/news/news_ IDA might certify a broader range of ease, DuPont will be forced to fund a id.php?row_id=493. fi xtures in the future. “Some fi xtures medical monitoring program, costing allow some uplight but are generally an additional $235 million. A separate Nation’s Largest Biodiesel Plant very good,” says Hanslep. IDA is lawsuit from the U.S. Environmental especially interested in fi xtures that Protection Agency is pending. Mean- Planned for North Dakota—North minimize glare and reduce negative while, the West Virginia Department Dakota Senator Kent Conrad an- effects on the behavior and health of of Environmental Protection has re- nounced plans in March 2005 for plants and animals, including hu- newed water pollution and waste North America’s largest biodiesel mans. IDA has not decided whether management permits for a Wood manufacturing plant, to be con- these fi xtures would earn the same County DuPont landfi ll without lim- structed in Minot beginning late certification or specialized labels, iting the permissible discharge of C8. this summer. The $50 million North and Hanslep admits to some debate Although company tests show that Dakota Biodiesel, Inc., plant will be within IDA’s membership over how C8 is leaching from the landfi ll, the able to produce 100,000 tons (91,000 best to proceed. On the whole, how- state has no water pollution standards tonnes) of biodiesel each year from ever, response from manufacturers for the chemical. more than 355,000 acres of canola. and IDA members has been “very The plant is expected to be opera- enthusiastic,” he reports, and IDA tional by the end of 2006. For more on has confi dence in the certifi cation’s EPA Reverses Lead-Paint Protec- biodiesel see EBN Vol. 12, No. 1. potential to broaden awareness and tions—The U.S. Environmental Pro- reduce light pollution. IDA-Ap- tection Agency (EPA) has dropped proved fi xtures, says Winters, “keep a pending requirement that only Consumer Reports Investigates ® our pathways bright and our skies certifi ed contractors using workers Green— Consumer Reports dark. It’s really simple.” – JB trained in lead-safe practices be al- launched a new, free website on Earth lowed to remodel or renovate build- Day, April 22, 2005, to help consumers For more information: ings constructed before 1978, when make environmentally responsible International Dark-Sky Association lead paint was banned. Voluntary purchases. Greenerchoices.org began Tucson, AZ compliance is more cost-effective, with a dozen products in several cat- 520-293-3198; 520-293-3192 (fax) especially in light of the decentral- egories and plans to expand in the [email protected] ized nature of remodeling work, future. An additional “green ratings” www.darksky.org according to a May 2004 PowerPoint feature details Consumer Reports’ briefing for then-deputy-adminis- fi ndings on the energy-effi ciency and trator Stephen Johnson, now EPA water-effi ciency of specifi c products. Newsbriefs administrator. “Industry [is] over- Released to coincide with the website whelmingly in favor of a voluntary launch, results from a Consumer Re- DuPont Settlement Finalized—A approach over regulatory framework ports survey found that nearly 90% of class-action lawsuit against DuPont changes,” according to the briefi ng, U.S. consumers actively consider en- was fi nalized in February 2005, re- which describes voluntary compli- vironmental and health factors when sulting in a $108 million settlement ance as a “win-win situation.” How- making purchases. More than 40% of (see EBN Vol. 13, No. 11 for more ever, the regulations would have respondents said they would be will- on the tentative settlement). Du- prevented at least 28,000 lead-related ing to pay more for green electric- Pont was charged with polluting the illnesses each year, preventing $1.6 ity, and nearly 70% said they would

4 Environmental Building News · May 2005 What’s Happening — Awards & Competitions

pay more to recycle their televisions a new scholarship to promote “solu- Winners Announced in and computers. tions to problems of poor indoor air Green Dollhouse Competition quality, electromagnetic fi elds, mold, and other environmental toxins,” in The Green Dollhouse Project has an- Oil Imports Reach Record High— the hopes of preventing environ- nounced the winners in its competi- U.S. net imports of petroleum reached mental illness including multiple tion “to build dollhouses that would a record level in 2004, coming in at chemical sensitivity. The scholar- inspire children and adults to make 57.8% of all petroleum used, accord- ship is a memorial to David Kibbey, their homes a little greener.” The 26 ing to the Energy Information Ad- an indoor air quality specialist and entries were judged by two criteria: ministration (EIA), a statistical agen- “Are they ‘dishy doll dwellings’ that green building proponent, and a cy of the U.S. Department of Energy. hold up to active play and delight core member of ADPSR, who died in Just over 19% of those imports came both children and adults?” and “Do 2001. The scholarship is open to U.S. from the Persian Gulf countries. EIA they offer ‘great green guidance’ residents in graduate, post-gradu- is online at www.eia.doe.gov. about one or more aspects of sustain- ate, or independent study. ADPSR able home design?” The contest was will award one or two scholarships organized by Architects, Designers, of about $2,500 each. Applications ADPSR Announces David Kibbey and Planners for Social Responsibil- are due May 20, 2005. For details, Memorial Scholarship—The North- ity and several other organizations. e-mail [email protected] or ern California chapter of Architects, The jury awarded two Design Profes- visit www.adpsr-norcal.org/menu/ Designers, and Planners for Social Re- sional Honor Awards: About/kibbeyscholarship.htm. sponsibility (ADPSR) has announced • Monopoly Manor, by Laura Schwartz & Associates and Mur- dock Young Architects, was built entirely of salvaged materials, in- Awards & Competitions cluding Monopoly®-money sid- ing, a Scrabble®-board fl oor, gum- wrapper roofi ng, and a Wonder®- Bread-bag shower curtain. Innovative Design Named Ener- Foothills Hospital, designed by Boul- gy Champion—The North Caro- der Associates, Inc., and OZ Archi- • Pre-Fab Mod Dollhouse, by An- lina State Energy Offi ce named Ra- tecture, has been given the Vista drea Traber Architecture + Sustain- leigh-based Innovative Design, Inc., Award for excellence in the design ability, was designed to take ad- vantage of daylighting and natural North Carolina’s Energy Champion in and construction of environmentally ventilation. It also features inter- March 2005. Led by Michael Nicklas, sustainable healthcare facilities from changeable roofs, walls, fl oors, and FAIA, Innovative Design has been the American Society for Healthcare landscaping elements, lending the incorporating active and passive Engineering (ASHE). The Boulder home fl exibility and adaptability. solar design, energy effi ciency, and Community Foothills Hospital be- other green features into its build- came the fi rst LEED® certifi ed hospi- The Green Dollhouse Project also rec- ings since its beginnings in 1977. tal in the country when it achieved a ognized awards for Professional Merit, Student Honor, Student Merit, Kids’ More information is online at www. Silver rating in 2003. Choice, Least Environmental Impact, innovativedesign.net. Green , and Renewable Energy. A full list of the competition Recycled-Tire Product Competition sponsors, details about the winners, Susanka Awarded FAIA Status— Announced—The California Inte- and more photos are online at www. Sarah Susanka, author of the Not So grated Waste Management Board is greendollhouse.org. Big House series, was named a 2005 sponsoring a competition for proto- Fellow of the American Institute types of building and landscaping of Architects. Along with 65 other products made out of tires culled architects, Susanka will be invested from the state’s waste stream. Prod- during a ceremony on May 20. The ucts will be displayed and judged at complete list of 2005 Fellows is online the California State Fair, to be held in at www.aia.org/fellows_default/. Sacramento in July 2005. The compe- tition is open to anyone who resides in California. Entry forms are due Boulder Hospital Wins Vista June 24, 2005. Details are online at Photo: Emily Hagopian Pre-Fab Mod Dollhouse, by Andrea Traber Award—The Boulder Community www.itsgoodforcalifornia.com. Architecture + Sustainability

Volume 14, Number 5 · Environmental Building News 5 Awards & Competitions

AIA Honors Green Projects The Barn at Fallingwater blend into the landscape via sod roofs. for 2005 Mill Run, Pennsylvania Primarily strawbale, the home also Bohlin Cywinski Jackson features structural insulated panels, The American Institute of Architects insulated concrete forms, FSC-certifi ed (AIA) has selected eight Green Proj- wood, and an impressive collection of ects and one Special Recognition from salvaged materials. Wildlife habitat is among more than 60 entries. This irrigated with graywater. year’s jury included Bob Berkebile, FAIA, of Berkebile Nelson Immer- Heimbold Visual Arts Center schuh McDowell (BNIM) Architects; Bronxville, New York Daniel Nall, FAIA, of Flack & Kurtz, Polshek Partnership Architects Inc.; Henry Siegel, FAIA, of Siegel & Photo: Nic Lehoux The LEED® Certifi ed 60,000 ft2 (5,570 Strain Architects; Susan Maxman, The Barn at Fallingwater is a 13,000 2 2 2 m ) Monika A. and Charles A. Heim- FAIA, of Susan Maxman & Partners, ft (1,210 m ) adaptive reuse of a 19th bold Visual Arts Center at Sarah Ltd.; and Deborah Snoonian, P.E., of century heavy-timber barn and its Lawrence College is integrated into the Architectural Record magazine. 20th century dimension- addi- topography of its site, with photogra- t ion. It s er ve s a s a n i nter pr et ive por t a l Full project descriptions and con- for the Western Pennsylvania Conser- tact information for each project are vancy’s 5,000-acre (2,000-ha) Bear Run online at www.aiatopten.org/hpb/, nature reserve, immediately adjacent or as part of BuildingGreen Suite at to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. www.buildinggreen.com/hpb/. The reuse of graywater and treated blackwater reduces potable water use. Austin Resource Center A ground-source heat-pump system for the Homeless and daylighting minimize energy Austin, Texas use. All plantings are native, and runoff from an existing parking lot Photo: Polshek Partnership Architects LZT Architects is fi ltered through bioswales. A large phy labs and other studios that do not bat house was built for the colony of lend t hem s elve s to dayl ig ht i ng loc ated bats displaced by renovation of the underground. A green roof reduces upper barn. stormwater runoff. Native plants and low-fl ow fi xtures reduce water use. Eastern Sierra House A ground-source heat-pump system Gardnerville, Nevada heats and cools the building. Indoor Arkin Tilt Architects environmental quality is improved through daylighting and operable Photo: Thomas McConnell windows. Materials were selected Designed as a meeting place and to protect indoor air quality and to support center to help people transi- lessen the environmental impacts of tion out of homelessness, this 26,800 their manufacture. ft2 (2,490 m2) building includes a computer room, an art studio, a Leslie Shao-Ming Sun clinic, and offi ces for community- Field Station support agencies, along with 100 Photo: Edward Caldwell Photography Woodside, California beds. Sited on a former brownfi eld 2 2 This 3,450 ft (321 m ) home on the Rob Quigley, FAIA in downtown Austin, the building eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada 2 includes a 13,000-gallon (50,000-li- Mountains uses shading, high in- Stanford University’s 13,200 ft 2 ter) rainwater collection system and sulation values, thermal mass, and (1,230 m ) Sun Field Station is a solar hot-water system to preheat fl ushing with cool night air to prevent located within the Jasper Ridge water. Flyash was used to replace overheating. Solar hot-water panels Biological Preserve, in the foothills of 45% of the portland cement in the feed a deep-sand-bed hydronic heat- the Santa Cruz Mountains. Waterfree urinals and dual-fl ush toilets reduce in- concrete. Daylighting and views are ing system and provide domestic hot door water use, and native landscaping provided in more than 90% of the water. A grid-intertied photovoltaic is irrigated with collected rainwater to workspaces. system meets the home’s electricity needs. The garage and guest wing minimize potable water use. Passive-

6 Environmental Building News · May 2005 Awards & Competitions

Rinker Hall This 168,000 ft2 (15,600 m2) academic Gainesville, Florida facility includes fi ve semi-indepen- Croxton Collaborative Architects with dent buildings, each including fac- Gould Evans Associates ulty offices, student homerooms, seminar rooms, breakout spaces, a Rinker Hall serves the students of workshop space, and a lecture hall. the University of Florida’s College A green roof covers half of the foot- of Design and Construction. The print area, and native plantings are three-story, 47,300 ft2 (4,390 m2) build- featured in the landscaping. Water- Photo: Rob Wellington Quigley, FAIA ing includes classrooms, teaching free urinals contribute to a potable cooling and solar-heating systems, labs, construction labs, faculty and water savings of 25%. Exterior sun- combined with good insulation and administrative offi ces, and student shades, operable windows, night- extensive daylighting, minimize time fl ushing, and exposed thermal energy use. The building was designed mass allow 80% of the design to be to b e c a rbon-neut ra l w it h a 22-k i lowat t, naturally ventilated. The building is grid-connected photovoltaic system 31% more effi cient than a similarly meeting much of the energy load. Sal- naturally ventilated base building. vaged, reused, recycled, and low-VOC Daylighting is provided to all occu- materials were used when possible. All pied spaces. lumber was FSC-certifi ed. The project team diverted 95% of the construction Special Recognition: waste from the landfi ll. Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Pittsburgh Glass Center Urban Design Plan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Portland, Oregon David Gardner Gannon Pope Photo: Timothy Hursley Mithun The Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Architecture, LLC, with Bruce Lindsey facilities. The LEED Gold building Urban Design Plan creates a new is oriented on a pure north-south axis, demonstrating the ability to utilize low-angle light for daylight- ing. Materials were reviewed for proximity of manufacture, recycled content, renewable-resource content, sustainable harvesting, longev- ity, low maintenance requirements, low toxicity, and the ability to be recycled or reused at the end of their Photo: Ed Massery useful lives. The 17,600 ft2 (1,630 m2) Pittsburgh Computer Rendering: Mithun Glass Center is a building reuse and identity for a 35-block, inner-city neighborhood-revitalization project. Seminar II, The Evergreen neighborhood through a 45-year plan. Alterations to the building shell State College Habitat quantity, quality, and con- increased daylighting, views, and Olympia, Washington nections will be improved by restor- natural ventilation. Heat from the Mahlum Architects ing “patches” within the streetscape glassmaking equipment is recovered, that connect to existing habitat corri- and the thermal mass of concrete dors. An integrated water system will fl oors and ceilings moderates tem- include stormwater management and perature swings. The parking lot treatment, and graywater and black- is surfaced with crushed limestone water treatment and reuse. Energy and landscaped with indigenous demand will be reduced and onsite plants. About 14% of the building renewable-energy resources, such as mater ia l s, by co st, wer e sa lvaged f rom biogas, solar, and wind power, will the original building and other be harnessed. Carbon neutrality will sources, and all new materials were be achieved through the purchase evaluated for recycled content and of carbon credits. local manufacturing. Photo: Lara Swimmer

Volume 14, Number 5 · Environmental Building News 7 Then & Now: 1995-2005

board, with a projected annual growth of 25%. Then & Now: 1995-2005 The following updated chart details current domestic manufacturers of strawboard products. Panel products A Strawboard Over the years, EBN has reported on made with a range of other agricul- nine additional domestic strawboard tural fi bers are not included. Manufacturing Update manufacturers. Of those nine, fi ve are Ten years ago this month, EBN ran still in operation. RIP: Strawboard Manufacturers a chart titled “Some Existing and In that EBN issue ten years ago, Alex that have Appeared in EBN Forthcoming Straw Panel Products.” Wilson wrote, “If the building indus- It included a dozen listings—ten were AgriFibre Industries, Inc.; Alternative try adopts these products there will Construction Products Corp.; Basic domestic, two were from overseas. likely be some large players getting At the time, eight of the ten domestic Industry Technology, Inc.; BioFab – Alt- involved,” and “Straw-based par- MatTec; Fiber Tech USA, Inc.; Isobord manufacturers weren’t yet in produc- ticleboard products . . . will likely Enterprises, Inc.; Naturall Fibre Boards, tion; the other two had suspended lead the pack.” How have those pre- LC; Prairie Forest Products, LLC; Pyra- production, but anticipated getting dictions worked out? Last year, Dow mod International, Inc.; Sea Star Trad- rolling again. A decade later, two of BioProducts produced 100 million ft2 ing Company; Stramit USA, LLC. those ten domestic manufacturers are (9,300,000 m2) of straw-based particle- in production. – MP

Domestic Manufacturers of Strawboard Products Prestowall™ compressed-straw, lignin-bound panels replace stud/drywall interior construction. Affordable Building Systems, LLC The 2-1/4" thick (57 mm) panels taper to 2" (50 mm) at their verticle edges. Two 3/4" (19 mm) Whitewright, TX channels accommodate wiring. Recycled paperboard fi nish. 866-364-1198 www.affordablebuildingsystems.com InStar™ Acoustical Ceiling System: 2" thick panels with hydro-kraft facing are suspended using a steel structural system. Agriboard Industries, LC Compressed-straw, lignin-bound panel construction system, 4" (100 mm) or 7" (175 mm) thick Electra, TX panels, factory-cut to spec. Laminated between 7/16" (11 mm) OSB using a polyurethane 866-495-3595 adhesive. Ceramic/fi berglass, water- and UV-resistant, exterior coating available. www.agriboard.com Dow BioProducts WoodStalk™ straw fi berboard panels are used widely in casework and cabinetry. Made with a Elie, MB PMDI binder, available in thicknesses from 1/4" (6 mm) to 1-1/8" (29 mm). WoodStalk underlay- 800-441-4DOW ment replaces lauan plywood. www.dow-bioproducts.com MeadowBoard™ formaldehyde-free, coarse-textured, interior decorative ryegrass panels; Meadowood Industries, Inc. available in high-density veneer or hard board, medium-density standard board, and low- Albany, OR density “bulletin board.” The 1/8" (3 mm) to 1" (25 mm) thick panels can be custom-molded 650-637-0539 into shapes. www.meadowoodindustries.com GrassBoard™ is inlaid with dried fl owers, ferns, and branches for accent panels or architectural Manufactured in Colusa, CA elements. Panel Source International St. Albert, AB Canada Purekor is straw particleboard made with formaldehyde-free binder in thicknesses ranging from 877-464-7246 1/4" (6 mm) to 1-1/2" (38 mm). Grades produced include mill grade, M1, M2, and premium. www.panelsource.net Manufacturing location depends on product width. Manfuactured in Elie, MB Canada Pyroblock® fi re-resistant panels use an intumescent coating; thicknesses range from 1/8" (3 mm) or Wahepton, ND (Purekor); to 1-1/4" (32 mm). Takoma, WA (Pyroblock)

Environ Biocomposites™, LLC Biofi ber™ decorative panels are made from fi nely chopped wheat straw with a urethane resin Mankato, MN binder; 1/2" (12 mm) to 1" (25 mm) thick. 800-324-8187 www.environbiocomposites.com Microstrand™ engineered composite structural panels are available in a range of thicknesses. PrimeBoard, Inc. PrimeBoard manufactures a variety of board densities (including M3 rated), thicknesses, and sizes Wahpeton, ND made with blended agricultural-residue fi bers, principally straw and sunfl ower hulls, and MDI resin. 701-642-1152 Low-density core materials, particleboards, and melamine are available. www.primeboard.com Research assistance for this chart courtesy of Erwin Lloyd, biomaterials consulting engineer with BioComposite Solutions in Bellingham, WA

8 Environmental Building News · May 2005 Feature Article: The Natural Building Movement

The Natural Building Movement (from page 1) tail the role of structural and fi nish materials in passive conditioning; describe the use of natural ventila- fl at walls, distinct corners, normal temporary presence, such as timber tion and humidity control; delve into roofs. This is true of contemporary framing, unmilled logs, , and passive heating and cooling; outline and historic examples alike. rammed earth are also considered human-centric design—concepts natural building. This article takes a look at the resur- that are also at the root of well- gence of natural building over the Each material and method has ad- executed natural buildings. Other last decade. It looks at some of the vantages, limitations, and its own considerations at the core of both movement’s current underpinnings, set of requirements for appropriate natural building and the broader emerging aspects, and philosophies use. Modern materials, products, and green building world include siting, that are of interest to the broader tools that can enhance performance, appropriate material use, minimal mainstream green building com- longevity, safety, healthfulness, and embodied energy, low energy use, munity. See pages 10-11 for a brief buildability are generally incorporat- occupant comfort, and eventual re- description of many of the more ed; but the emphasis is on using the use or low-impact disposal. common natural building materials lowest and most benign technology to A growing number of natural build- and techniques. best achieve what needs to be done. ers are evolving increasingly com- plex understandings of how Natural Building, basic materials behave in- Green Building dividually and collectively The term natural build- as building systems—their ing has commonly come moisture tolerances and be- to mean using local, pre- haviors, energy fl ows, and industrial building ma- structural limitations—and terials and techniques are reconnecting that build- whenever possible. These ing science with simple primarily include rough know-how. wood, clay and sand, Science + craft stone, and—the most ballyhooed material of “There’s so much knowl- the movement for some edge that’s been lost in such time—straw, usually a short time. Just in the last baled. Cob (a monolith- hundred years, we’ve lost ic, hand-formed cousin Adobe house built in 1846 for Theodore Irving, nephew of that artisan craft of build- Washington Irving (author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) on of adobe) captures the ing that was passed on, the shore of Seneca Lake in Geneva, NY. Photo: Sarah Machtey imagination of many generation to generation. for its sculptability and A big part of natural build- earthiness. Earthbags (fl exible-form Though it causes some members of ing is reconnecting with that; but at rammed earth using polypropylene both communities to bristle, natural the same time, we’re still moving sandbags) have increasing visibility building can easily be considered a forward,” Doni Kiffmeyer, coauthor and use in the movement. Cordwood subset of green building. At the very of Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks, construction (using short lengths of least, there’s a signifi cant overlap. and Techniques, told EBN. unmilled wood as masonry units) Presentations at green building con- Natural builders are rediscover- is a recognized option with owner- ferences routinely detail elements ing traditional knowledge and ap- builders in forested environments. that natural builders cling to: ses- plying today’s more sophisticated Salvaged and repurposed detritus, sions on holistic design, real energy understanding of the underlying such as car tires, junk mail, and bro- costs, and even wabi sabi (a Japanese physics and chemistry as they meld ken concrete chunks (“urbanite”), aesthetic typifi ed by humble, rustic old techniques with new innova- is sometimes included under the imperfection) mirror some of the tions. But even with the benefi t of natural building fl ag as well. The permacultural (fully integrated de- both old and new wisdom, there list also includes such natural mate- signed ecosystems), conservation- are signifi cant challenges in using rial systems such as clay plasters, minded, and aesthetic approaches of traditional materials while meeting earthen fl oors, thatch, and dry-laid natural building. But the connection modern expectations of comfort, stone foundations. Traditional tech- runs deeper than that. Speakers de- durability, and low maintenance. niques that have maintained a con- (continued on p. 12)

Volume 14, Number 5 · Environmental Building News 9 Feature Article: The Natural Building Movement

A brief overview of a number of the more commonly recognized, though not always commonly used, traditional and contemporary natural building materials and techniques

Earthen Material PISÉPneumatically Impacted Stabilized Earth (PISÉ) is a proprietary system using one-sided formwork to receive a stabilized CobClay, sand, and straw earth mixture delivered at high pressures from a gunite machine. is mixed into a stiff composite Sophisticated equipment and engineered mixes are required. This and hand-formed into thick, is not the same as pisé de terre (rammed earth). load-bearing, monolithic walls. Cob is favored by Earthbags (Superadobe)Polypropylene bags are fi lled many natural builders for with a moistened clay-bearing soil (typically), laid in courses, and its free-form, sculptable tamped solid. Long-point barbed wire is generally used between quality. A historic “shuttered courses to help prevent cob” variant used formwork. slippage. Earthbags Centuries-old examples exist can be used to make in locations ranging from the corbelled domes as damp British Isles to the arid well as straight walls; Photo: Mark Piepkorn Middle East. with various fi lls, they Cob wall in a strawbale duplex in have been used as non- Ithaca, NY. Cob is a mix of sand, AdobeLarge, thin monolithic foundations. clay, and straw; natural stones have made with clay and sand, als o be e n inc o r po rated f o r both f unc - and sometimes straw, are Cast EarthCast tion and aesthetic. Earth and stone formed in molds and air-dried. Earth is a proprietary work by Sarah Machtey. Building an earthbag wall in front of a Building codes often require wall system using 10– strawbale casita in Rico, CO. Doni Kiff- stabilizing components. Load- 15% calcined gypsum meyer (in straw hat) is the co-author of bearing walls are laid in a running bond, generally using clay- (plaster of paris) and Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks based mortar. Adobe is a traditional building material in many set-retarding additives and Techniques. Photo: Mark Piepkorn parts of the world and has a long history of use in the southwestern with appropriate soils . to form-pour quick-setting walls. It has greater tensile strength than adobe and rammed earth, and is similar to rammed earth in Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB)Essentially, these are compressive strength and appearance. machine-made adobe bricks, but more uniform, dense, and strong. Hand-operated block presses have been around for decades. Earthen FloorsDurable, nondusting fl oors can be made Interlocking shapes are possible; holes and grooves may be with tamped or poured soils of various compositions, employing integrally cast for bamboo or steel reinforcement. a number of different stabilizers and sealers. Point-loading can damage the leathery fl oors, which generally repair easily. Earthen Rammed EarthA few inches’ depth of suitable soil is placed fl oors are not appropriate over fl exible substrates. between removable forms for a 12"- to 36"-thick wall, tamped solid with pneumatic rammers or human strength; repeated as needed. Natural Plasters and FinishesClay-based plasters The soil in contemporary have a growing popularity in natural building in all climates. projects is generally cement- Lime and other stabilizers will increase weather-resistance and stabilized, 3–8% or more. durability, and help control dusting. Large overhangs, porches, Parts of the Great Wall of and vented rainscreen claddings can be used for further weather China are rammed earth. protection. The old practice of lime-sand plasters is also becoming more common. Rammed Earth Tires Discarded tires used as permanent forms are rammed Straw and Other Biomaterial with soil using sledgehammers Leichtlehm (Straw-Clay, Woodchip-Clay)Straw, or a pneumatic tamper. chipped wood, or other fi bers coated with clay slip are tamped Walls are built in a running between removable slipforms between bearing members or outside bond. Popularly used in of a bearing frame. Leichtlehm is a traditional infi ll for medieval Earthships®, they have also and Tudor European buildings with exposed structural timbers. been used as nonmonolithic Tires rammed with earth on a rubble These mixtures have also been made into blocks. foundations for outbuildings trench will be used as a foundation and garden walls, and as for a freestanding earthbag garden ThatchTypically bundled reeds or straw is used as a roofi ng retaining walls. wall in Rico, CO. Photo: Mark Piepkorn material. Thick variations of the technique also lend insulation

10 Environmental Building News · May 2005 Feature Article: The Natural Building Movement

value. Steps can be taken to natural building movement, except as a roof dressing. mitigate potential damage caused by fires, leaks, HempMany natural builders in the U.S. are waiting for the and nesting birds and legalized cultivation and use of industrial hemp in this country. other small animals. Thatch Hemp hurds (pulp from the stalk) mixed with building lime has is traditional in many been used in as a building material. parts of the world but has been seldom used BambooTimber-sized in contemporary natural bamboo won’t grow in building. most of the U.S., but most climates support cold- Straw BalesBaled hardy, smaller-diameter straw is stacked like bricks plants that can be used and plastered on both as a building material sides. Most contemporary in a number of ways, strawbale houses use the including lathing and pins Making a bamboo roof truss at a Photo: Mark Piepkorn bales as infill within a for strawbale construction. natural building colloquium in Using a garden chipper-shredder, bearing system, or to one Small-diameter bamboo Davidsonville, MD. Special joinery plastering artisan Keely Meagan side or the other of the is bundled together techniques are used for timber-sized (author of Earth Plasters for Straw bamboo. Tim Ivory (in cap) led the bearing members. In historic for structural use in some Bale Homes) makes fi nely-chopped presentation. Photo: Mark Piepkorn straw for earthen plaster at the Lama strawbale houses the bales parts of the world. Foundation in San Cristobal, NM. are load-bearing. Large overhangs, porches, and Stone vented rainscreen siding will lend increased moisture protection. SlipformMortared stone walls are built behind slipforms to Papercrete and Padobe/FidobePapercrete is pulped simplify the process of building with stone. Face stones are set waste paper mixed with water, sand, and cement; padobe (or against the interior of each fi dobe) uses clay as a binder instead of cement. Some papercrete side of the formwork in a bed recipes call for over 25% of the dry weight to be cement. Most of mortar; the inner portion of natural builders eschew the unnecessary use of cement. the wall is mortared rubble. Metal reinforcing is commonly Wood (generally)Locally and sustainably harvested wood added. is a common and good building material. Many natural builders gravitate toward “character” wood—curved or twisted, and diffi cult Dry-Stacked StoneDry- to mill. Smaller diameter “weed” trees are used when possible. stacked stone is sometimes Timber framing and pole construction are common, sometimes using used for foundations. In unmilled wood. Wood shingles are still sometimes used. some parts of the world, entire corbelled structures Cordwood (Stackwall)Cordwood construction uses split were historically made of Photo: Mark Piepkorn or whole sections of debarked softwood of uniform length laid Participants in a dry stonewalling unmortared stone. up as masonry units embedded in two cement mortar tracks—one workshop at Dummerston, VT, near the outside of the stick and one near the inside. The inner led by Dan Snow and Michael GabionsWoven or welded wire containers fi lled portion is fi lled with an insulating material, typically sawdust and Weitzner, Master Craftsmen, with stones are generally used lime. An infi ll variant using cob as the mortar has been called and Andrew Pighills, Advanced Craftsman (Dry Stone Walling for erosion control. They also “cobwood.” Association of Great Britain). h a v e b e e n i n f r e q u e n t l y u s e d a s Log HomesLog homes are often overlooked in discussions of foundation systems for natural natural building, though they can be a reasonable use of sizable buildings—a sort of above-ground rubble trench foundation. storm- and dead-fall, and fi re- or disease-killed trees. Log homes Rubble-Trench FoundationsRubble-trench foundations are are traditional in many areas where trees are plentiful. traditional in some . By removing the water, frost heave is eliminated; modern highways and railroad beds are constructed Wattle and DaubSmall, pliable branches are woven into a on a similar principle. lattice as a substrate for earthen materials. This traditional technique is seldom used in the modern natural building movement. UrbaniteBroken-up concrete is free, strong, and easy to use in foundations, walls, and fl oors. Re-use keeps it out of landfi lls. SodSod houses—“soddies”—were built on the American plains where wood was scarce. Reproductions using historic techniques SlateSlate is a traditional roofi ng and fl ooring material, and have been built, but the material hasn’t so far resurfaced in the is still in use today.

Volume 14, Number 5 · Environmental Building News 11 Feature Article: The Natural Building Movement

Some traditional building systems very inexpensive and simple are gen- “I think that there’s a defunkifi- were successful over time because erally overblown, particularly when cation going on. Not necessarily the materials allowed heat and vapor those buildings are expected to meet an aesthetic one—that comes and to move through relatively freely; contemporary expectations of hous- goes—but in terms of coming up as those flows are constrained to ing. Such assertions are less common with quality details that are build- improve energy effi ciency, moisture than they once were. The natural able for a reasonable price,” says Paul can become trapped and durability building materials most commonly Lacinski, co-owner of GreenSpace can suffer. cited lend themselves particularly to Collaborative in Ashfield, Massa- chusetts, and coauthor of the book Tim Owen-Kennedy, cofounder of the walls of a house, which typically Serious Strawbale. Vital Systems in Ukiah, California, represent just 7–15% of the cost of a structure—savings in these cases told EBN, “The building-envelope In addition to devising techniques don’t account for the foundation, science of natural building is just that are both simpler and better than roof, windows and doors, mechani- amazing.” He sees the evolution of a the best practices of just a few years cal systems, or any level of fi nish. truly appropriate technology emerg- ago, some natural builders have be- ing from the marriage of simple, low- Natural builders: for hire gun harnessing mechanization—to tech systems with serious building the dismay of some natural building science. “Working with materials In spite of the potential for high la- purists. Earthen and lime plasters, that people question, like cob and bor costs, a number of design-build, batched in paddle mixers, can be strawbale and earth plasters—things general, and specialized contractors spray-applied. Motorized tumblers that raise concerns about longevity are making a successful, cost-com- can mix straw or woodchips and clay and moisture issues—causes you petitive go of it in natural building. (leichtlehm). Bobcats and rototillers to re-examine the whole picture of Log-home, timber-frame, and (in can be used to mix cob. it,” Owen-Kennedy notes, adding: the Southwest) adobe builders have “That’s improved me as a conven- long been around; more recently, “Since we have the right equip- tional builder and pushed ment to be able to me more and more to- do large-scale work, wards natural building. we can come in at a price At this point, I’m full-time competitive to stress-skin with 20 people on the panels,” Mark Hoberecht, a payroll, all doing natural principal of HarvestBuild, building.” Inc., in Columbia Station, Ohio, told EBN. “All the The Economics of benefi ts of the textures you Natural Building get, the curved walls, the undulations—we can of- Natural building mate- fer those at no extra cost, rials and techniques are where the people that do generally low in cost but standard construction just high in labor—making can’t without charging a them most appropriate Photo: Mark Piepkorn premium.” A paddle mixer being used to mix lime-stabilized earthen plaster. for small structures, built The mixed plaster is -pumped onto waiting strawbale walls. Sometimes contractors get with lots of cheap time and paid well for putting in muscle, usually provided lots of time working with by the owners. Brent Katzmann of rammed-earth contractors have been natural materials. Rob Roy, director Balance Studio in Ithaca, New York, on the rise. Just in the last few years, of Earthwood Building School in told EBN, “One of the things that the number of builders plying the West Chazy, New York, and author many of us are trying to uncover strawbale trade has mushroomed, of several books about building, told is the economics of building with and a new breed of builders-for-hire EBN, “There are clients with money natural materials. You replace the with offerings of cob, straw-clay, and out there. Willie Nelson had a beau- effi ciency of mass production with natural plasters is popping up. tiful cordwood house built for him; the effi ciency of local gathering of Better understanding of how to work Dennis Weaver had an earthship materials. The balance shifts from made for him. There’s room at both material expense to labor expense.” with these materials in a capacity where the fi nancial bottom line is ends of the economic scale.” Claims that natural buildings are a big motivator has been evolving. Natural building is happening in

12 Environmental Building News · May 2005 Feature Article: The Natural Building Movement

the commercial sector as well. The local code-enforcement rep- 26,000 ft2 (2,340 m2) administration resentatives have the final building for the new $18,000,000 say—and while some are Santa Clarita Transit Maintenance open-minded or even enthu- Facility in California features exte- siastic, not all of them are rior walls infi lled with straw bales, eager to deal with anything lime-plastered on both sides. HOK is out of the ordinary. Some- providing full architectural services times, all a building offi cial for the project. Tom Nelson, a vice wants are plans stamped by president and senior project designer an architect or engineer. in HOK’s Los Angeles office, told Sigi Koko, principal and own- EBN, “I believe that this is the fi rst er of Down to Earth, has had strawbale project to pursue a LEED a number of strawbale struc- rating. And as far as I know, it will tures—one with cob features, also be the largest strawbale com- one with earthen fl oors, and mercial structure ever built.” most with earthen and lime Having a powerhouse like HOK in- plasters—permitted in the volved lends legitimacy to strawbale Mid-Atlantic (including sub- construction; but there have been, urban Washington, D.C.), and very likely still are, inexperi- with no problems getting enced contractors offering services code approval. “I make sure Photo: HOK (Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum) the offi cials know that they The new Santa Clarita (California) Transit in natural building, just as there are 2 can ask me absolutely any Maintenance Facility features a 26,000 ft (2,340 in green and conventional building. 2 question, and I’ll respond,” m ) administration building with strawbale-infi lled Many have come and gone—hang- walls, lime-plastered on both sides. HOK is providing ing out their shingles with seem- she told EBN. “In one county full architectural services. ingly little more thought than “how in Maryland, I had to prove hard can it be?”—only to fi nd that things like dimensional sta- adopted prescriptive codes for natu- working with unfamiliar, nonstan- bility and fi re-resistance; they ini- ral building materials, principally dardized materials that are by turns tially wanted the tests repeated three strawbale. Though initially helpful, fussy and forgiving, using outdated times—after the fi rst round, they gave those codes are considered fl awed by techniques and incomplete knowl- me the go-ahead. It clearly exceeded some natural builders, who feel that edge, led to poorly performing, un- expectations.” (See the “Checklist they keep techniques frozen in place healthy buildings that they made no for Gaining Approval for Alterna- long after they’ve been improved money working on. There have been tive Designs, Materials, and Methods or even abandoned. For instance, failures. There have been lawsuits. of Construction” in EBN Vol. 10, most strawbale codes require rebar There will be more. In the building No. 9 for advice on working with pins to be pounded through the industry, that’s nothing new. building offi cials.) center of a wall as it’s built; while Where it’s been adopted, ICC’s Per- this lends some stability during con- Building Codes formance Code for Buildings and struction, it adds no real structural value to the fi nished wall system, Building codes are perhaps the Facilities, rolled out in 2003, presents and other methods offer increased biggest hurdle to natural building. another option: rather than specify- stability and ease of installation. In The International Building Code ing how to achieve the intent of the another longstanding example, ado- and International Residential Code code, it describes what needs to be ac- be codes often require the use of ce- from the International Code Council complished, giving a clear basis from ment-based plasters, which can trap (ICC)—like the earlier building codes which to proceed. Either process moisture and lead to structural fail- from the Building Offi cials and Code has the potential to be expensive ure. Many builders have requested Administrators International, Inc. and aggravating, likely requiring and received variances from estab- (BOCA), International Conference accredited materials-testing facilities lished codes. of Building Officials (ICBO), and and engineering studies. Southern Building Code Congress Some municipalities and states— David Eisenberg, director of the De- International, Inc. (SBCCI)—contain including Austin, Texas; Boulder velopment Center for Appropriate provisions for alternative materials and Cortez, Colorado; Pima County, Technology (DCAT) and an EBN ad- and methods not covered by the Arizona; and the states of California, visory board member, has led efforts prescriptive guidelines. However, New Mexico, and Nevada—have to reform building codes to address

Volume 14, Number 5 · Environmental Building News 13 Feature Article: The Natural Building Movement

Finding Out More issues of sustainability (see EBN Vol. Here’s a short list of some of our favorite overview books about natural building: 10, No. 9, “Sustainability and Build- ing Codes”). His work led the trade • Alternative Construction: Contemporary Natural Building Methods. A collection of articles journal of the International Confer- edited by Lynne Elizabeth and Cassandra Adams, written by the movement’s practitioners. ence of Building Offi cials, Building Five years old but still at the top of the list, this college textbook is a mix of deep technique and heart (but heavy on technique), providing some of the best technical information Standards, to devote three issues—in available on a range of materials and methods. See our review in EBN Vol. 10, No. 10. 1998, 2000, and 2002—to alternative building materials and processes, in- • The Art of Natural Building. A 2002 collection of essays edited by Joseph Kennedy, cluding natural building materials; Michael Smith, and Catherine Wanek, written by practitioners of the movement. These generally cohesive short pieces strike off in several directions without straying too far copies of these articles are archived from the path, giving a good indication of the breadth of the movement. It has lots of at DCAT’s website, www.dcat.net. photos and illustrations, and plenty of pointers for more information at the chapter-ends. Eisenberg is also a regular columnist See our review in EBN Vol. 11, No. 5. for Building Safety, the journal of • The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy-Effi cient, Environmental Homes ICC. In a recent “Building Codes for by Daniel D. Chiras. This book, published in 2000, provides nicely thorough introductory a Small Planet” column, he wrote, coverage of a couple dozen materials and techniques, weighing the pros and cons of “Imagine two fundamentally differ- each. A separate section addresses such topics as design principles, renewable energy, and water systems. See our review in EBN Vol. 9, No. 6. ent builders. One knows the code as a set of minimum standards for rec- • Built by Hand: Vernacular Buildings Around ognized designs, and builds to those the World, photography by Yoshio Komatsu, text by Athena Steen, Bill Steen and Eiko minimums. The other is always look- Komatsu. This is a hefty, drop-dead-gorgeous ing to create the most resource- and collection of over 700 color photographs energy-effi cient, least toxic building of vernacular construction from just about he or she can. Which one typically everywhere. The minimal text provides a jump- has the easiest time getting plans ing-off point for inferences gleaned from the approved? Clearly, no one intends photos about local materials use, climate- and to reward the lowest-quality build- lifestyle-appropriate design, and the concep- ing legally possible while penalizing tion of beauty in the built environment. builders who push the upper limits, • by Bob Easton and Lloyd Kahn, but this is typically the outcome.” 2000 (2nd edition) and Homework: Handbuilt Shelter by Lloyd Kahn, 2004. An oversized back-to-the-land classic fi rst published in 1973, Shelter combines low-tech, Through a Glass, Darkly can-do articles, photos, illustrations, and enthusiasm for owner-built shelter from hippie The evolution of commercially havens in the U.S. to indigenous architecture from around the world. Its follow-up com- viable, widely accepted techniques panion, published 31 years later, carries that tradition forward. Not a lot of building notwithstanding, without consum- science in these, but that’s not the kind of books they are. er demand the mainstreaming of Information about natural building materials and techniques is also available in videos natural building is unlikely—unless and DVDs, such as A Sampler of Alternative Homes: Approaching Sustainable Architecture market conditions become such that (1998; see www.hartworks.com/alternative-homes.htm) and Building With Awareness: The Construction of a Hybrid Home (2005; see www.buildingwithawareness.com). there’s little alternative. In addition to decreasing the ineffi ciency and Participants in over a dozen internet discussion groups range from the mildly interested to the toxicity of buildings, a larger, sober- deeply invested; discussion quality ranges from sublime to misinformed. Most take advantage of Yahoo’s free hosting service; search by topic at www.groups.yahoo.com. The Strawbale ing consideration on the minds of and Greenbuilding lists hosted by the Renewable Energy Policy Project have been informative many natural building proponents is and engaging since the mid-‘90s; see www.repp.org/discussiongroups/. the issue of embodied energy, taken to its extreme. Websites are also spotty, though reliable information is out there. Start with the Eco- logical Building Network (www.ecobuildnetwork.org) and the generally less technical “As we run up against the end of www.greenhomebuilding.com. cheap, abundant oil,” Eisenberg Workshops—lasting anywhere from a day or two to longer than a week—are offered by told EBN, “a lot of the things we some of the natural building movement’s practitioners and personalities. Best places to think are normal are going to be- check include the calendars at The Last Straw (www.thelaststraw.org/calendar.html) and come incredibly expensive, diffi cult, Sustainable Sources (www.greenbuilder.com). or impossible.” Eisenberg sees an Independently organized natural building colloquia are held sporadically in the Southwest, increasing need for local solutions Northwest, and Northeast; one is scheduled for the end of June 2005 in Bath, New York using old skills and techniques— (see this issue’s calendar or www.peaceweavers.com/bw/). some of them married to newer

14 Environmental Building News · May 2005 Feature Article: The Natural Building Movement — From the Library

technology and information. nature, or it can express a desire for Final Thoughts a greater emotional sense of place. Chris Magwood, professor in the In many cases, it may simply refl ect The natural building movement is Sustainable Building Design and the awareness that there are pleasing evolving rapidly. In many ways, it’s Construction program at Fleming alternatives to the ubiquity of sheet- following the path forged by the College (in , Canada), coau- rock. Andy M. Shapiro of Energy larger green building movement; thor of the book Straw Bale Building, Balance in Montpelier, Vermont, told in some ways, it goes beyond green and former editor of The Last Straw, EBN, “Green professionals tend to building, taking that ethos to its fur- thest reaches. But, ultimately, those echoed the sentiment, telling EBN, operate under the assumption that distinctions don’t really matter. As “In some ways, this is the cutting the industrial materials stream is all Owen-Kennedy told EBN, “Natural edge; some of these ideas are going that’s available. The idea that we can building and green building, it’s all to percolate up into the mainstream. do things other than fl at surfaces a continuum. The next step is to get Sooner or later, when it gets too ex- and square corners, get more con- past the dogma—the righteousness of pensive to truck materials around, nectedness into the buildings, I think it—to where it’s just common sense.” everybody’s going to have to be can bring a lot more heart into our moving towards this. Thanks to the built environment.” – Mark Piepkorn natural building movement, there’s going to be a pool of knowledge for everybody else to draw on.” Underneath the Aesthetic From the Library The “hippieness” of natural build- ing—which is both real and imag- The Company We Keep tion to focusing on South Mountain, ined—is at once a draw and a draw- Reinventing Small Business for Abrams also describes a half-dozen back for the movement. Natural People, Community, and Place other progressive companies around buildings can and often do look by John Abrams; Chelsea Green Publish- the country that are leading a move- more or less normal. But picturesque ing, White River Junction, VT, 2005; ment toward employee ownership. images of hobbit-like, storybook 328 pages, $27.50, hardcover The Company We Keep is a great read houses with soft corners, thatched with a great message that should or covered with small green plants, South Mountain Company, cofound- have relevance to virtually any com- with curls of smoke rising from their ed by EBN advisory board member pany that cares about more than chimneys, appeal to many people . . . John Abrams, has been a pioneer in making money. Read it yourself, and consequently a good many natu- democratizing the workplace. The but also buy copies for friends and ral buildings emulate this aesthetic, Martha’s Vineyard design-build fi rm, associates—as I have done. – AW frequently with great success. founded in 1975, became an employ- ee-owned company in 1987. Not only For many proponents, providing a is the company prospering, but it is soft, textured, visually interesting serving as a model for other entrepre- space that engages occupants on an neurs seeking not only a bottom line instinctive level is as important as of profi t but also a bottom line that any of the other benefi ts. “Having values the well-being of employees, good, clear, open-hearted conversa- community, and the environment. tions in a fl at-walled box is really challenging,” Owen-Kennedy told In The Company We Keep, Abrams tells EBN. “In my exploration to discover the story of his company from its al- what are the buildings that heal, most coincidental beginnings out of what are the buildings that are most the back of a pickup truck to its highly humane, that are most serving the respected position today. The 30-per- son company is known not only for real needs and desires of the people the craftsmanship, energy effi ciency, that are intended to be served—that and environmental performance of search has led me time and time its buildings but also for the role it again to natural building.” has played on Martha’s Vineyard in Valuing organic forms can reflect addressing affordable housing needs a worldview steeped in respect for and building community. In addi-

Volume 14, Number 5 · Environmental Building News 15 13-15 • NeoCon 2005: World’s Trade Fair, 17 • Pervious Concrete Pavement Semi- Chicago, IL. Sponsor: NeoCon. Information: nar & Demonstration, Denver, CO. www.neocon.com/neocon/. Sponsor: American Society of Concrete Calendar Contractors. Information: 866-788-2722; 20-23 • Ecobuild America 2005: The Envi- [email protected]; www.ascconline. ronmental Systems Technology Conference org/PDF/AnnConfBroch2005Web.pdf. MAY & Exhibition, Orlando, FL. Sponsor: Ecobuild America. Information: conference@ecobuild 27-29 • 2005 World Sustainable Build- 12-13 • 10th Canadian Conference on Build- america.com; www.ecobuildamerica.com. ing Conference: Action for Sustainability, ing Science and Technology, , ON, Tokyo, Japan. Sponsor: Conference Sec- Canada. Sponsor: National Building Enve- 20-24 • Solar Summer Intensive, Taos, NM. retariat of SB05Tokyo. Information: Fax: lope Council of Canada. Information: www. Sponsor: The University of New Mexico, +81-3-3437-6482; [email protected]; www. nbec.net/conference/. Taos. Information: 505-737-6270; taos.unm. sb05.com. edu/solarschool/. 16-21 • Affordable Comfort 2005: Annual Conference & Trade Show, Indianapolis, IN. 25 • Building With Spirit - A Regional Natu- OCTOBER Sponsor: Affordable Comfort, Inc. Informa- ral Building Colloquium, Bath, NY. Sponsor: 13 tion: www.affordablecomfort.org. PeaceWeavers. Information: 607-776-4060; • Building Green: 2005 AIA Delaware www.peaceweavers.com/bws/index.htm/. Statewide Design Convention, Wilmington, 17-27 • Sustainable Practices in Design and DE. Sponsor: Delaware Chapter of the Ameri- Construction, St. John, U.S. Vigin Islands. can Institute of Architect. Information: 302-654- Sponsor: Colorado State University College of JULY 9817; [email protected]; www.aiadelaware. Applied Human Sciences. Information: 22-24 • Professional Straw Bale Construc- org/awards05/building-green.htm. Midge Toomey; www.cahs.colostate.edu/ tion Training Course, Petaluma, CA. Spon- cm/offsite_courses.stm/. 26-28 • Excellence in Building 2005, sor: California Straw Building Association. Colorado Springs, CO. Sponsor: Energy & 19-21 • AIA National Convention and De- Information: 209-785-7077; www.straw Environmental Building Association. Info: sign Expo, Las Vegas, NV. Sponsor: Ameri- building.org/Procourse2.html. 952-881-1098; www.eeba.org/conference/. can Institute of Architects. Information: www.aiaconvention.com. AUGUST NOVEMBER 25-26 • Energy-Effi cient Lighting Confer- 6-12 • ISES 2005: Solar World Congress, 8-10 • 2005 Design-Build Expo, Las Ve- ence, Albany, NY. Sponsor: Association of Orlando, FL. Sponsor: American Solar En- gas, NV. Sponsor: Design-Build Institute Energy Services Professionals. Informa- ergy Society. Information: [email protected]; of America. Information: 202-454-7535; tion: 561-575-2334; [email protected]; www.swc2005.org. [email protected]; www.designbuildexpo. www.aesp.org. 14-17 • Energy 2005 - The Solutions Net- com. 31-June 3 • Greening the Heartland, Chi- work, Long Beach, CA. Sponsor: U.S. DOE 9-11 • Greenbuild International Confer- cago, IL. Sponsor: U.S. Green Building Offi ce of Energy Effi ciency and Renew- ence & Expo 2005, Atlanta, GA. Sponsor: Council Chicago and Regional Chap- able Energy. Information: 800-608-7141; U.S. Green Building Council. Information: ters. Info: 215-428-9655; info@greening [email protected]; www.energy [email protected]; www.greenbuildexpo.org. theheartland.org; www.greeningtheheart 2005.ee.doe.gov. land.org. DECEMBER SEPTEMBER JUNE 13-16 • Ecobuild Federal, Washington, DC. 15-17 • BSU 2005 Greening of the Sponsor: Sustainable Buildings Industry 1-5 • World Environment Day 2005, San Campus 6, Muncie, IN. Sponsor: Ball State Francisco, CA. Sponsor: United Nations Council. Information: 800-996-3863; www. University. Information: www.bsu.edu/ ecobuildamerica.com. Environment Program. Information: 415- greening. 355-9905; www.wed2005.org/0.0.php/.

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