Buildings
Buildings
Auguste Renoir
Auguste Renoir
What do you think buildings built with and following permaculture principles will look like?
What do you think buildings built with and following permaculture principles will look like?
  • should be beautiful in the opinions of all of the people who build them and use them
  • should be customizable
  • should have the capacity to withstand the test of time and be maintained for at least 100 years
  • should be affordable, support equality, and be achievable for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds
  • should support the vision of the society we want, and they should make sense in the landscape, oriented in every sense to fit harmoniously with the environment
  • be built from local materials and, if not possible, from upcycled and recycled materials
Buildings and settlements through the lens of Permaculture design։

  • are constructed using accessible technology, easily learned, as safe as possible, readily adopted by people of different abilities and ages
  • are non-toxic both in construction and in habitation
  • produce no or as little waste as possible
  • should be both durable and adaptable
  • are compostable/able to return to the earth after people no longer need it
  • have potential for site self-reliance, in food, water and energy
    Danny and Katherine built a gorgeous house made of cob - a sustainable and natural material made from sand, clay, and straw. They even made most of their furniture from cob! It cost them only 15,000$ to build this 800sqm house!

    The walls are made of straw bales stacked on top of each other with a thick layer of cob applied on both sides. The straw bales are the insulating layer. This means that heat cannot escape through the walls during winter and heat cannot enter through the walls during summer. The thick layers of cob act as the thermal mass. A thermal mass is any material that can absorb heat, store it for a long time and slowly release it. The cob absorbs the heat from the sun shining through the windows during the day and slowly releases it during the night.

    All the windows of this house are on the south side.
    This is important because in the winter the angle at which the sun rises and sets is further toward the south. Having windows on the south side allows the sun to shine through during the entire day during winter, passively heating the house and cob, which will release the heat at night resulting in it being warm during the day and night.

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    Danny and Katherine built a gorgeous house made of cob - a sustainable and natural material made from sand, clay, and straw. They even made most of their furniture from cob! It cost them only 15,000$ to build this 800sqm house!

    The walls are made of straw bales stacked on top of each other with a thick layer of cob applied on both sides. The straw bales are the insulating layer. This means that heat cannot escape through the walls during winter and heat cannot enter through the walls during summer. The thick layers of cob act as the thermal mass. A thermal mass is any material that can absorb heat, store it for a long time and slowly release it. The cob absorbs the heat from the sun shining through the windows during the day and slowly releases it during the night.
    All the windows of this house are on the south side.
    This is important because in the winter the angle at which the sun rises and sets is further toward the south. Having windows on the south side allows the sun to shine through during the entire day during winter, passively heating the house and cob, which will release the heat at night resulting in it being warm during the day and night.

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    This is their rocket mass heater, also made of cob. It is a slow-release radiant heating system. The design rocket mass heaters consists of an insulated wood burning chamber where wood is burnt at high temperature and heats the cob lining the heater and interior of the house. Since hot air rises, the hot gasses from the fire rise and enter the big barrel, where they release heat to the surroundings. When the gasses cool down, they drop down from the barrel and enter tubes running through the bench next to it to release the remaining heat from the gasses before they are released to the atmosphere through the chimney. This design allows cob-style rocket mass heaters to warm a space for several days after the fire has stopped and reduces fuel consumption by 80–90% compared to "conventional" wood burning heaters.
    This is their rocket mass heater, also made of cob. It is a slow-release radiant heating system. The design rocket mass heaters consists of an insulated wood burning chamber where wood is burnt at high temperature and heats the cob lining the heater and interior of the house. Since hot air rises, the hot gasses from the fire rise and enter the big barrel, where they release heat to the surroundings. When the gasses cool down, they drop down from the barrel and enter tubes running through the bench next to it to release the remaining heat from the gasses before they are released to the atmosphere through the chimney. This design allows cob-style rocket mass heaters to warm a space for several days after the fire has stopped and reduces fuel consumption by 80–90% compared to "conventional" wood burning heaters.
    They even made a "truth window" to prove that the walls really are made of straw.









    In the bathroom, they have a composting toilet. They use sawdust to cover everything and provide a source of brown material you learned about in the waste lesson. Since everything is always under the sawdust, there is never any smell. When the bucket is full, it is taken to a separate compost pile outside and left for 2 years (compared to a few months for regular compost), after which it is safe to use as a fertilizer in the garden.
    They even made a "truth window" to prove that the walls really are made of straw.
    In the bathroom, they have a composting toilet. They use sawdust to cover everything and provide a source of brown material you learned about in the waste lesson. Since everything is always under the sawdust, there is never any smell. When the bucket is full, it is taken to a separate compost pile outside and left for 2 years (compared to a few months for regular compost), after which it is safe to use as a fertilizer in the garden.
    They upcycled glass bottles in the walls to let in colorful rays of light. Since these glass bottles are a double layer of glass with air inside, they are well insulated like double glazed windows. and wont let a lot of heat escape through them.
    They upcycled glass bottles in the walls to let in colorful rays of light. Since these glass bottles are a double layer of glass with air inside, they are well insulated like double glazed windows. and wont let a lot of heat escape through them.
    Imagine building your dream home from the ground up. Would you build it according to permaculture principles?
    Although Danny and Katherine made the cob by mixing clay and sand from their property with straw and water using their feet, machines make cob blocks called compressed earth blocks that can be used just like cement blocks. This machine is small enough to rent and have on-site and make the blocks using clay found on-site. This school in South Africa is made entirely of on-site compressed earth blocks.
    Although Danny and Katherine made the cob by mixing clay and sand from their property with straw and water using their feet, machines make cob blocks called compressed earth blocks that can be used just like cement blocks. This machine is small enough to rent and have on-site and make the blocks using clay found on-site. This school in South Africa is made entirely of on-site compressed earth blocks.
    Rammed Earth is similar to rammed Earth blocks but uses a slightly different technique.
    Rammed Earth is similar to rammed Earth blocks but uses a slightly different technique.
    Biomimicry is an important part of permaculture design. Some architects are able to use this permaculture principle to design more sustainable structures. Architect Mick Pearce used the natural method of termites to design a sustainable passive cooling system for the largest commercial building in Zimbabwe. This building is able to be cooled without air conditioning.

    This is a great example of how permaculture principles are transferable to many other professions.

    Biomimicry is an important part of permaculture design. Some architects are able to use this permaculture principle to design more sustainable structures. Architect Mick Pearce used the natural method of termites to design a sustainable passive cooling system for the largest commercial building in Zimbabwe. This building is able to be cooled without air conditioning.

    This is a great example of how permaculture principles are transferable to many other professions.
    Ուզում եմ կարդալ ավելին
    Mick Pearce's passive cooling system
    Mick Pearce's passive cooling system
    What did you learn, what are the characteristics of a building built according to permaculture principles?
    What did you learn, what are the characteristics of a building built according to permaculture principles?
    Discussion 6: preparatory tasks
    Complete the task before discussion 6 and come ready for the discussion.

    1. Conduct an assessment of your school building according to the permaculture standards for buildings presented in the reading material. Talk to the school staff to gather the necessary information.