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Natural building

Introduction

Find the Construction subheading on the Permaculture page.

Houses built with traditional earth technologies using indigenous knowledge make up the largest number of houses in the informal housing sector in South Africa.

Natural building is any building system which places the highest value on social and environmental sustainability. It assumes the need to minimise the environmental impact of our housing and other building needs while providing healthy, beautiful, comfortable and spiritually-uplifting homes.

Natural materials like stone, wood, straw and earth are not only non-toxic, they are life-enhancing. There is a good feeling we get from natural buildings which is difficult to describe. Even though conditioned to prefer the new, the shiny, and the precise, we respond at a deep level to unprocessed materials.

Source: Adapted from www.networkearth.org and http://alive2green.com

Role players

Note: Click to expand the headings below.  To get a free listing on our website like the ones below, visit here for more information or place your order hereDisclaimer: The role player listings are not vetted by this website.

 
Tlholego Ecovillage and Learning Centre – https://rucore.org.za/tlholego-village/ “Tlholego Village is one of South Africa’s pioneer centres for Permaculture design, natural building and eco-village development”
Terra-Khaya – https://terrakhaya.co.za Farm accommodation, permaculture retreats and training, natural building courses
McGregor Alternative Technology (MAT) Centre – www.mat.org.za MAT teaches sustainable building, renewable energy, permaculture and promote alternative technologies like compost toilets, solar cookers, etc. MAT acts as a learning and resource centre for those wishing to explore and incorporate these principles and technologies in their own lives and in their communities.
RUCORE Sustainability Foundation – http://rucore.org.zaRucore is a social enterprise focusing on ecologically integrated strategies for rural development.
Tlholego Ecovillage and Learning Centre – https://rucore.org.za/tlholego-village/ “Tlholego Village is one of South Africa’s pioneer centres for Permaculture design, natural building and eco-village development”

Websites and publications

Visit the websites listed above.

For further information on straw bale construction look at:

www.shelterpub.com. Shelter Online illustrates even more imaginative ways to put a roof over one’s head.

www.greenhomebuilding.com – “building today for tomorrow”

Readers of this page would find the Green Home Resource Guide interesting. See www.reviewlab.com/green-home-guide.

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