Examiner.com

Photo courtesy of John Fuhrman

---

Related Articles

• Earthen Hand building sustainability 
• Artful natural buildings
• Up on the rooftops - green and growing

While wood-framing is the most popular way to build homes in the Pacific Northwest, wood-framed construction is a major contributor to deforestation worldwide. According to Scott Howard, founder of Portland’s Earthen Hand Natural Building, the materials and methods in traditional earthen construction are highly sustainable because they are readily available and easy to use. Structures built of earthen materials are more likely to last for many centuries rather than the few decades expected from contemporary wood-framed buildings.

An example of local earthen construction is the recently completed Newberry House Mud Hut project. The house was built of strong earth-filled woven sacks that were stacked like bricks to form walls. McMenamins Brew Pub supplied the re-purposed woven sacks and the natural materials needed for the building were also locally sourced. Using dirt, rocks, and industrial cast-offs, like the woven sacks, to build structures reduces the need to use wood. Less wood use means that the effects of deforestation are reduced: Forest-based animal habitat is not destroyed, soil erosion is mitigated, and carbon-sequestering trees are left to make the air more breathable for humans. Howard’s Newberry House Mud Hut is an eye-popping, architectural creation.

The hut’s curved walls, distinctive roofline and salvaged windows combine to give the structure a joyful appearance. The building’s character is further enhanced by artfully placed embellishments and careful finishing touches. Newberry House Mud Hut is a typical example of the earthen structures from Scott Howard and Earthen Hand Natural Building.

For more information about Earthen Hand, Scott Howard, or upcoming workshops, check the Earthen Hand website.

©2010 Katie Cordrey. You may repost with copyright notice and link back to this original article!

 Please share this story or subscribe to the Portland Sustainable Living Examiner channel using the buttons above the article.