Text 4. Natural building

Natural building is a style of construction which emphasizes the use of local and benign materials (low processed) and technologies. Methods include timber frame, straw bale, straw/clay, adobe, cob, hemp, natural plasters and finishes and stone masonry. These methods of construction combine current, state of the art of techniques with historical methods. These well constructed buildings such as timber frames, can easily stand for 500 to 1000 years and more. Other benefits include a healthier and environmentally sustainable building, energy efficiency, support of the local economy and social responsibility.

Labour intensive conversion of local, natural materials into building materials keeps money in the local economy. By contrast, highly processed materials available at big box stores are fabricated by large corporations in far away lands. Purchasing these materials leads to "capital flight" from the local community. Furthermore, local materials travel less distances and are often processed by-hand or with very low energy methods. This means that they have less “embodied energy” than highly processed materials.
From a building perspective, local materials encourage the re-introduction of vernacular architecture to a particular site. By contrast, many homes built today look the same in Southern California as they do in Northern Ontario. Natural buildings reflect the locale in which it is situated, its immediate environment, the community of skilled trades that inhabit the area and the larger community who support these buildings and their inhabitants.