adobe constructionThis is an ancient building material and one of the most widely used. It traditionally consisted of mud or clay bricks that are made into coursed walls, and then they are covered in a plaster of some kind. They can be made with almost all locally sourced materials that are mixed correctly, and the regular brick construction combined with heavy plaster coating from all natural materials is extremely durable as many of the oldest buildings in the world are made this way.
Cost: A fully finished Adobe home can be done yourself for as low as $60 a sq ft. however this with the bare minimum necessities, and an avg. house done by a contractor costs upwards of $160 sq ft. |
cob constructionThis material is very similar to adobe, however it does not use bricks and the material is just built right into the walls. It is one of the most simple and cheap ways to build available, and consists of a mixture of subsoil and fibrous organics like straw and water, sometimes lime is added for strength. This mixture is just built up and formed into walls by hand and does not take much skill in constructing. It is ideal for smaller homes and buildings. It has the same thermal mass advantages as Adobe, so retains heat well in winter, and keeps cool in summer, and can be made with resources on site in most cases.
Cost: A small cob house can be made for as low as $45 per sq ft. however more extensive cob house with all modern amenities will cost around $140 per sq ft. |
Strawbale constructionOverview: The use of strawbales is a very sustainable building material, and can be incorporated into many typical house designs. The environmental benefit of haybale construction is that hay is a by product of farming and there it's disposal is a big problem, it is often burned contributing to rise in CO2. The use of it in buildings solves this problem, and it happens to work really well and is extremely insulating. the haybales are just used as is and simply stack on one another, and can even be load bearing walls, or framed with wood. The bales are then tied together by poles through them or be mesh on the outside, and then covered with a stucco or plaster finish.
Cost: A fully finished 770 sq ft. strawbale home can be built for around $20,000 |
earthbagsThe use of earthbags is becoming popular, they are simply elongated polypropylene bags, that are filled with a combination of locally sourced earth and clay sometimes mixed with a form of cement. The bags are stacked upon one another with barbed wire in between to hold them together and supported by wooden forms to create arches and windows. They can be formed into domes, or a customary roof can be added, there is almost limitless possibilities to how you can design an earthbag home, and the bags allow for unique designs unachievable with other materials. The bags once set need to be covered to protect them from UV rays, various stuccos, plasters or cements are used that must be waterproofed. The bags come in rolls that are then cut to size.
Cost: Small Roll (250 yards) $290, Medium Roll (500 yards) $580, Med-Large Roll (750 yards) $800, Large Roll (1000 yards) $1020, Extra Large Roll (1750 yards) $1715. |
recycled tiresThere are millions of used tires in dumps around the world, and they can be used for building in many ways. The most sustainable use for them is as bricks in a wall, they are rammed with earth and stacked on each other in courses much like a brick wall, once rammed with earth they are quite heavy and will hold each other in place. The biggest benefit of tire walls is their thermal mass, so they regulate temperature in different climates. Tires have been made into roof shingles and broken down made into many different composites.
Cost: FREE |
recycled garbageOverview: The whole process of garbage disposal is incredibly expensive and taxing on the environment and is available in abundance. These make recycled garbage a great sustainable material that minimize waste and building costs. The most popular and efficient use of certain garbage is in combination with concrete or mortar. Cans and bottles can be a substitute for bricks, recycled glass and bottles can make unique windows. The production of concrete worldwide produces 7%-10% of global CO2 emissions, so mixing crushed glass, or any other waste product with it, means less waste and less energy used in production.
Cost: FREE, garbage can almost alway be acquired for free which makes it such an appealing resource if home builders are educated on how to use it. |
HempcreteOverview: The idea of hempcrete originated in Europe, and is an extremely sustainable material to build with. It is made with a combination of hemp plant stalks, lime, and water which then cements together in forms of some sort. It requires very low skilled labour, is non-toxic, suitable to a wide range of climates, but most importantly, like other natural recycled materials, it has a negative carbon footprint. It can be used in many traditional home designs and has great insulating properties.
Cost: Hempcrete homes can be built for $100-$200 per square foot, this includes everything in the home from plumbing to accessories |
Rammed EarthRammed earth construction is an ancient method originating in Africa, it is best if locally sourced earth is used rather than transported to site, which will lower the walls embodied energy. Forms are made from wood and filled with combination of different earths and a concrete a couple inches at a time and is tamped in layers. The large thermal mass is good for regulating indoor temperature thus reducing heating and cooling bills, and with slight modification this method can be used in any climate.
Cost: $250 per vertical square meter of wall at 30" thick |