“The job of shaping the built environment comes with a responsibility beyond the wants of the paying client, and beyond our personal wants as well. May the wisdom that we bring to our practice include an understanding of the effects of our building designs and materials choices on all beings now alive and their descendents.”(Elizabeth and Adams)
Most of the people who are attracted to natural building techniques share a concern to behave more responsibly towards the environment but as will become apparent in Natural Building: A Guide to Materials and Techniques, many of these people are individuals trying to do something different on their own. There are also examples of organisations with bigger projects embracing natural building ideas but many projects are environmental or organic centres that have adopted natural building as a physical expression of their aims. In time the mainstream construction industry will have to adopt natural building methods and materials but environmental problems will have to become more serious before this happens.
The other aspect of natural building is not informed by doom and gloom prophesies of environmental catastrophe, but natural building is embraced because it is more attractive, creates more beautiful and harmonious buildings and generally makes building occupants feel better. Given the choice between a ‘cheap’ synthetic material product or method of building and a natural one, a subjective decision for the natural option is made. There may be an awareness of the scientific and environmental reasons but not always an understanding of the scientific detail. Intuition leads to the natural alternative.
A self built strawbale house in Putley, Hertfordshire
In our modern technocratic society we do not trust our intuition enough and clever advertising and offers of quick fit solutions can easily sway us. The building industry is very conservative and seems to believe that nothing will work or last unless it is full of toxic glues, chemicals and comes with three layers of plastic wrapping! The client for a building who wants to use natural materials and methods will get plenty of hostile advice that “it will never work” or we’ve never done it like that.” Some professionals will be unwilling to embark on what they see as untried and experimental techniques that are not covered by British standards, Board of Agrément certificates, warranties and indemnity insurance.
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