Alternative Construction

The first comprehensive guide to combining traditional natural materials and modern construction methods. From adobe to straw bales, traditional building materials are being adapted to meet code--required standards for health and safety in contemporary buildings around the world. The complete guide to selecting and using natural materials for building Covering a broad range of options for natural building, Alternative Construction examines straw bale, light clay, cob, adobe, rammed earth and pisé, earthbag, earth-sheltered, bamboo, and hybrid systems for residential and low-rise commercial structures. Over thirty well-known experts on each building system—including Athena Swentzell Steen and Bill Steen (coauthors of The Straw Bale House), David Easton (author of The Rammed Earth House), and Joseph Kennedy and Michael Smith (editor and author of The Art of Natural Building)—have contributed core chapters that explore the history, development, environmental benefits, and engineering and building code requirements for each method. More than 200 visuals depict both construction processes and completed structures, while an extensive resource guide shows where to go for further information, training, and research. Editors Lynne Elizabeth and Cassandra Adams have provided, in the words of Environmental Building News, "a terrific overview of various methods for building with earth, straw, and bamboo . . . Alternative Construction is an enlightening, sometimes fascinating, combination of voices." Whether you're a designer, builder, or owner, this book will help you to combine indigenous building materials with modern construction systems to create low-impact, high-quality buildings that meet the highest levels of comfort, health, and safety.