Abstract
Forgotten building techniques of the past are being revisited, in an effort to reduce the negative impacts that traditional building methods, such as stick built homes, currently produce on the environment. These techniques include rammed earth and straw bale. New innovations in technology, such as the invention of solar panels, offer a natural source of electricity and also provide less of an impact on the environment. Sustainable building and living must become a top priority for everyone before the Earth is stripped of all its previous resources and is polluted beyond the point of return.
Is humanity finally ready to make the commitment to preserve planet Earth? We already know about recycling and buying energy efficient light bulbs, but why not take that concept even further? For example, let’s start building the estimated 1.3 million new homes constructed each year out of dirt, yes you read that correctly, dirt. These dirt homes need to be finished and furnished with recycled materials. The truth is, “green” building and living is much easier and less costly than one might think. Combining forgotten building techniques and new technological advancements in solar energy make eco-friendly building and living an obvious and necessary choice for the twenty-first century.
A sustainable home has a high level of energy independence (Chiras, 2000, p. 350). This is achieved through solar panel heating and cooling techniques, creating a renewable electric power source, and purchasing eco-friendly building materials. An eco-friendly home is constructed from building materials that have a minimal impact on the environment. Ninety percent of all homes built in America are built out of wood. Population growth continues to create an excessively high demand for wood. Forests provide us with oxygen, insect control, flood control, groundwater recharge, and a place for recreation. If we do not stop depending on wood, then our forests will be destroyed. One alternative is engineered lumber. Engineered lumber is made from recycled materials such as newsprint, straw, wood waste, and wood chips. The fibers are glued and pressed to create dimensional lumber, such as two-by-fours, to frame homes. The Neil Kelly Company in Oregon is currently using a straw-based, chemical-free, particle board to manufacture cabinets. They also use non-toxic glue and water-based organic stains (Chiras, 2000, p. 354). Traditional wood framed homes are unhealthy. Homeowners are breathing in hazardous chemicals, such as toxic glues, from the construction process. The wood for a home is generally cleared all at once from a concentrated forest, leaving the forest stripped bare. Building homes out of wood is irresponsible and must stop. Our Earth is not able to keep up with the high demand. Instead, earlier building techniques need to be revived. These design techniques are rammed earth and straw bale.
A rammed earth home is built out of soil, generally 50% to 75% sand. The soil is packed into brace walls, about four inches high at a time (Mother). Once a wall section is full, the braces are removed. The soil will dry and become as strong as concrete. The result is a strong, quiet, healthy, chemical-free, termite-free, fire-resistant, heavily insulated home that will not only outlast a stick built home, but will last for many centuries. This home will also save a homeowner thousands of dollars annually in utility costs. The thick walls not only keep the home insulated, but offer a unique quietness that stick built homes cannot. These homes do cost slightly more than stick built homes because they entail such a labor intensive process to build. However, the result is a stronger, healthier, and higher quality home. Today, the average rammed earth home costs about ninety-five dollars per square foot (Chiras, 2000, p. 61), compared to a stick built home that averages eighty dollars per square foot (Chiras, 2000, p. 92). Rammed earth homes first originated in Africa and the Middle-East. Archaeologists in China have discovered rammed earth buildings dating back to 7 B.C. Sections of the Great Wall of China were also made with rammed earth. Fifteen percent of the homes in France are rammed earth as well. The method was first introduced in America by the Spaniards. Using a slightly different technique, the Spaniards were crushing seashells into the rammed earth homes they were building in St. Augustine Florida. Rammed earth was particularly popular in America during the 1840’s and again in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. During the Great Depression rammed earth provided a cheaper housing alternative. As with the majority of things in our American society, the rammed earth technique has unfortunately been stereotyped. Homes made from dirt were viewed as being too primitive, and of a lower quality. Homeowners would feel that they were of a lower social status. Rammed earth homes were considered temporary residences until one could afford to build a “real home” of wood some day. The invention of the planning mill allowed processing mills to create refined wood to use for building new homes. The invention of the railroad allowed the refined wood to be shipped just about anywhere in the United States. Wood homes could be built much faster, and were less labor intensive than rammed earth homes. Rammed earth homes soon became a technique of the past. A few architects did resurrect it again in the 1970’s. They were trying to keep up with the demand for housing without placing such a heavy burden upon the Earth (Chiras, 2000, p. 34). Research shows rammed earth construction to be one of the most environmentally responsible methods for building the thermal shell of a home. People like these homes because of their passive solar heating capability, which will be discussed in greater detail later. Today, rammed earth homes remain popular in areas with low amounts of trees, and in areas where termites are an issue. Rammed earth homes make up twenty percent of Western Australia’s new housing market (Chiras, 2000, p. 36). This type of home design is good for all climates except hot and humid climates. The temperature does not cool down enough at night. As a result, heat cannot escape from the walls, making the home unbearably hot (Chiras, 2000, p. 56). It is interesting to observe how the attitudes of society have shifted over the years. To early American settlers, a home made out of wood represented a high social status. People of the twenty-first century are deeming stick built homes to be one of mankind’s greatest blunders. A person whom chooses a rammed earth home is truly representing intelligence, integrity, and a concern for future generations.
Straw is the shaft portion of grain crops such as rice, wheat, and rye. Straw bale homebuilders prefer to work with wheat straw because rice straw is rough and harder to work with. Another benefit is that there are little to no seeds in straw, which makes the material less desirable to rodents (Chiras, 2000, p. 66). In the 1880’s the baler was invented. This allowed for the capability to bundle straw into strong and hard-packed bales. The technique started out in the Great Plains of Nebraska, where timber was scarce. Inexpensive, these homes were more appealing to the eyes and also offered more comfortable living compared to sod homes of the time. In short, the process of building a straw bale home entails gluing the straw bales together with wet plaster. The result is a strong home that is highly insulated.
In 1904, the U.S. Congress passed the Kincad Act. This Act granted larger lots of land to willing settlers who wished to build a home. The majority of the settlers were poor immigrants. They too began building straw bale homes. Like rammed earth homes, they too were viewed as a temporary residences until one could afford to build a “real” home from wood. This idea slightly shifted as people began to realize how good of an insulator straw truly was. As a result, modifications were implemented to make the interior of the homes appear more like that of a stick built. For example, plaster was thrown over the hay on both sides of the home (Chiras, 2000, p. 65). Straw bale homes also became a fad of the past, again due to the invention of the wood planning mill and the birth of the railroad. In the late 1970’s environmental issues caused the rebirth of straw baled homes. People began making living roofs with straw bale. The straw bales were placed along waterproof decking. Manure and flower seeds were added, creating an actual living roof (Chiras, 2000, p. 88). The cost to build a straw bale home is about thirty-five dollars per square foot if one, along with family and friends, does the majority of the work themselves. A contractor built home runs about sixty-five dollars per square foot, depending on the desired features (Chiras, 2000, p. 92). The benefit is that these homes require about thirty percent less energy than a standard wood built home (Chiras, 2000, p. 93). Farmers traditionally burn their straw at the end of the growing season, causing CO2 from their equipment to pollute the air (Chiras, 2000, p. 66). According to Matts Myhrman in Out on Bale, “If all of the straw left in the United States after the harvest of major grains was baled instead of burned, five million 2,000 square foot homes could be built every year” (Chiras, 2000 , p. 94). If more people built with straw, the farmers would no longer need to burn it, thus saving the environment.
The majority of homes today are built from asphalt shingles, which are little pieces of wood. Shingles are expensive and only last about fifteen to twenty years. The asphalt used with shingles is not biodegradable or recyclable (Grady, 1993, p. 165). Superior roofing alternatives include clay tile, metal, and steel roofs. All of these options are much cheaper than asphalt shingles, and the new metal is rust resistant. A study proved that after 50 years, mair metal roofing would only lose less than five percent of its color (Grady, 1993, p. 167).
Eco-friendly products need to be used inside of homes as well. Today, the majority of all homes have sheetrock for their interior wall structures. Sheetrock is made from a mineral called gypsum (Marinelli, 1995, p. 166). The gypsum is covered with paper to create the drywall effect. Although gypsum is in no danger of running out, the Earth is still being stripped of a mineral. This is not a sustainable living concept. Studies prove gypsum wallboard to have significant amounts of formaldehyde and other hazardous chemicals. Formaldehyde is a strong irritant and has been linked to causing cancer. If that was not shocking enough, “almost all of the drywall waste from construction and remodeling ends up at landfills” (Marinelli, 1995, p. 167). Builders are beginning to use drywall made in-part from recycled wood fiber, but it is clear that drywall is a poor choice. Rammed earth homes do not have this problem, as no interior wall finishing is necessary.
Flooring is another important topic. Traditional carpets were made of natural fibers, like wool and cotton. Today, around 80% of all carpet fibers are nylon. Nylon is actually made from benzene, which is derived from crude oil (Marinelli, 1995, p. 170). Oil is a non-renewable fossil fuel. The backing of carpets is made from various rubbers and glues. When the carpeting is attached to the floor of a home, glues are again used. These toxic chemicals are released into homes, creating poor air quality. These unnatural carpets are not only hazardous to your health, but are also emitting hazardous toxins into the Earth’s atmosphere. Synthetic carpets do not biodegrade, but wool and cotton do. Instead of choosing a toxic synthetic carpet, a natural wool or cotton carpet should be used. The majority of homes today also have vinyl flooring in the kitchen and/or bathroom areas. A recent study concluded vinyl flooring contained twenty-seven volatile organic compounds, five of which were suspected cancer causers. The source of the VOC’s is mainly from the twenty percent of plasticizer content that is found in vinyl flooring (Marinelli , 1995, p. 175). Pre-1986 vinyl flooring even contained asbestos. Today in the United States, there is no recycling program in place for vinyl flooring. It goes to a landfill and is not biodegradable. Linoleum and cork are safer alternatives. Both are made out of natural materials that are constantly renewed by nature. Linoleum and cork are also biodegradable (Marinelli, 1995, p. 177).
A bedroom is one of the most important areas to keep toxin free. Synthetic bedding is treated with formaldehyde, a chemical suspected to have cancer causing effects. When selecting bedding, stay away from labels that say “do not iron.” This means that the bedding has been treated with formaldehyde. Safe bedding materials include 100% organic cotton, wool, and down comforters (Marinelli, 1995, p. 202). It is imperative that pillows are not stuffed with synthetic materials. Instead, natural down or 100% organic cotton fillings are healthier choices.
All appliances within a home should have a superior energy star rating. Energy Star is a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star qualified appliances use ten to fifty percent less energy and water than standard models. In 2007 alone, Energy Star products helped avoid greenhouse gasses in the equivalent of 27 million cars, and saved people over $16 billion on their utility bills (Energy Star). These energy ratings on appliances help people make eco-friendly and responsible purchases. Other energy efficient choices include installing ultra-low-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, and faucet aerators. The low-flow showerheads use no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute, and still offer the same strong pressure Americans are accustomed to (Marinelli, 1995, p. 221).
America aided Israel in taking over Palestine in 1973. As a result, Arab nations refused to give the United States oil for five months. After the sanction was lifted, oil prices continued to be higher than ever before. During the oil crisis, the majority of homes in the United States were heated by oil (Kachadorian, 2997, p. 7). The oil scare caused many to become concerned with alternative heating techniques. In January of 1976, James Kachadorian started Green Mountain Homes, Inc. Funded through a bank loan from the Randolph National Bank in Randolph, Vermont, it was the first home manufacturing company in the United States dedicated to designing and manufacturing kit solar homes (Kachadorian, 1997, p. 8). His design was based on a passive solar heating technique. The long axis of the home was faced perpendicular to true south. Windows were placed on the south, east, and west sides of the home to take advantage of sunlight. The north side of the home refrained from having any windows. Several trees protected this side of the home from the wicked winds from the north. Deciduous trees were placed on the sunny sides of the home, which protected it from excessive heat during the summer months (Kachadorian, 1997, p. 11). Felix Trombe, a French engineer, came up with the idea of passive solar heating (Kachadorian, 1997, p. 14). Heat from the sun is absorbed by south facing windows. Heat transfers from the windows to a blackened concrete wall inside the home. There are small openings at the top and bottom of the blackened wall. These openings allow heat to escape from the wall at night, and release the heat into the interior of the home (Kachadorian, 1997, p. 15). Passive solar homes are designed to take advantage of the sun’s energy, which lessens the reliance on electricity or other energy sources for heating. Innovative at the time, Americans welcomed Kachadorian’s “let nature heat your home” way of thinking with open arms. Green Mountain Homes, Inc. has since become extinct at Kachadorian’s choice. He currently resides in Woodstock, Vermont, in a solar home which he designed. Passive solar heating remains a popular building technique used by most builders today.
Photovoltaic modules also take advantage of the sun’s rays. Many of our electronics, such as the solar calculator or solar watch, are already based on this concept. Photovoltaic modules are a way to replace large nuclear power plants. Solar panels are installed, generally on the roof, of a home. These solar panels are connected, and are made of semiconductor materials such as silicon, boron and phosphorus (Chiras, 2000, p. 285). Once the sunlight strikes the solar panel, it is converted directly into electricity (U.S. Dept). The amount of energy produced from photovoltaic modules is sufficient to provide power and heat to an entire home year round (Chiras, 2000, p. 284). Today, over 40,000 homes in America are powered with this technique. The majority of these homes are found off the electricity grid, where homeowners have no access to traditional power sources. According to Christopher Flavin and Molly O’Meara at the Worldwatch Institute, this technique has seen an average growth rate of sixteen percent each year since 1990 (Chiras, 2000, p. 285). The gaining popularity of photovoltaic modules is expected to keep increasing at large rates. The majority of PV systems today are found in the southwestern United States, due to the large amounts of sunlight that can be found in this area (U.S. Dept). Solar panels offer a safe, renewable, and cost effective energy alternative compared to the large and dangerous nuclear power plants used today.
Building homes from wood and toxic chemicals is not only hazardous to human health, but is also irresponsible, and must stop. Instead, we must try to live with Nature, and take as little as we possibly can from it. Michael Potts described his view on the twentieth-century home design in The New Independent Home; “In the sweep of history, the twentieth-century American house will probably be regarded as a temporary aberration, an embarrassment to enlightened builders and planners. It will be called the out of place house or the utterly dependent home” (Chiras, 2000, p. 9). Humans have a duty to protect the environment for future generations. Irresponsible building and living must come to an end. Instead, humanity must start preserving what little is left of the planet. It is time to educate ourselves and begin reestablishing our balance with nature. Sustainable eco-friendly homes are not the new wave of the future, but are the vital next step needed to preserve Earth and bring back a forgotten balance between nature and mankind.
Annotated Bibliography
Chiras, Daniel D. The Natural House. VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2000. Topics
include construction costs and the pros and cons of 14 natural building methods. The
Natural House is energy efficient, nontoxic, soothing to the soul, economical, and good
to the environment.
Cole, John N., and Charles Wing. From The Ground Up. Canada: Little, Brown & Company Ltd., 1976. The text illustrates how to build a post-industrial home. “Homes constructed in harmony with nature, rather than in an attempt to conquer it – will be more comfortable, efficient, and agreeable.”
Crosbie, Michael. J., ed. The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook. New York:
John Wiley and Sons, 1997. Detailed drawings and case studies depict how to construct
a home with a passive solar design.
Earth Building Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization that helps people learn how
to build with eco-friendly products. They offer workshops, references, and other useful
information on adobe and rammed earth building techniques
(www.nmia.com/~eaci/index.html).
Energy Star offered detailed information about the Energy Star program, such as who funds it,
why it was developed, and the impacts it has made on the environment
(http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index).
Grady, Wayne. Green Home: Planning and Building the Environmentally Advanced House.
Canada: Metrolitho, Inc., 1993. This book walks the reader through the tough decisions involved with building a home which has the least impact on the environment.
Construction topics discussed included solar panels, precast concrete foundations, steel
roofing, effective heating systems, energy-efficient appliances, etc.
Kachadorian, James. The Passive Solar House. VT: Chelsea Green Publish Company, 1997.
This book demonstrates how solar panels can heat and cool your home. Solar panels save
on energy costs, and are better for the environment. The book offers insight on various
techniques for building eco-friendly heating and cooling mechanisms.
Marinelli, Janet, and Paul Bierman-Lytle. Your Natural Home. Canada: Little, Brown &
Company, 1995. This book points out where the biggest eco-hazards of a home lie, and offer solutions to create a eco-friendly home. The book also provides a resource of eco-friendly products for the home.
Mother Earth News offered a story about a man who constructed his own rammed earth house in
the 1970’s. Website included building tips and photos
(http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1973-09-01/How-To-Build-
a-Rammed-Earth-House.aspx).
Rammed Earth Solar Homes, Inc. offers rammed earth design assistance, contractors,
monthly seminars, and general information (www.rammed.qpg.com).
"The Self-builder; Ask the Experts.” Sunday Times (London, England) (Oct 29, 2006): 51.
Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale,
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/residential/solar.html#passiveHartness Library
System. 2 Oct 2008
idea of what an environmentally friendly home consists of. Topics covered included
straw-bale homes, clay and lime wall coverings, and using the sunlight for heating.
The U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Website listed
general information about building techniques, passive solar heating, photovoltaics,
wind energy, and much more (http://www.eere.energy.gov).
Works Cited
1. Chiras, Daniel D. The Natural House. VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2000.
2. Energy Star. Nov 23, 2008. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=about.ab_index).
3. Grady, Wayne. Green Home: Planning and Building the Environmentally Advanced House. Canada: Metrolitho, Inc., 1993.
4. Marinelli, Janet, and Paul Bierman-Lytle. Your Natural Home. Canada: Little, Brown & Company, 1995.
5. Mother Earth News. Nov 22, 2008.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1973-09-01/How-To-Build-
a-Rammed-Earth-House.aspx
6. The U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Nov 20, 2008.
(http://www.eere.energy.gov).
