Earth and straw houses?
The last few years, a group of people in Archanes have been promoting a new method of construction, based on the cob method. Although you might be sceptical of how stable or waterproof a house made of earth, animal faeces and straw could be, visiting and talking with them might convince you of the advantages of this alternative method of natural construction. Some of its significant advantages are bioclimatic architecture, savings in money and energy and stable living conditions. Employed construction materials require little processing and transportation and have low financial and environmental costs. Some of these materials are renewable (like lumber and straw), and some others (like rock and earth) exist in such abundance that makes them practically inexhaustible.
An additional advantage of building with local materials is that it creates structures in absolute visual harmony with its surroundings.
“Unlike eco-materials, natural construction materials undergo little or no processing. Their use does not add to the destruction of forests, the squandering of mineral resources or pollution, nor does it depend on industrial materials and heavy machinery. Earth is non-toxic and completely recyclable. In this era of environmental degradation, lack of natural resources and of the thousands of hidden toxins in our houses, it’s common sense for us to return to more innocent, cheap and healthy construction materials”
Contact Information
http://www.cob.gr/ & The Archanes Project http://www.thearchanesproject.com/el/
