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Alternative Methods for Building Houses

Although most houses today are built out of wood or brick, there are many other methods and materials that work, some of which have been used for thousands of years. With awareness of the environmental impact of architecture and construction growing, more and more people are looking into sustainable methods and materials to use when building their homes.

  1. Straw Bales

    • Straw bales are one of the most popular and rapidly growing methods of alternative building. Contrary to the myth of the three little pigs, a house built of straw can be durable, comfortable and long-lasting. As long as the straw is protected from exterior moisture by the application of a layer of adobe or other waterproof covering, the straw will last indefinitely. Also, contrary to popular belief, straw bale houses are not more prone to fire than other houses. Because the straw bales are tightly packed and sealed over inside and out, they don't react to fire in the same way that a loose pile of straw would.

    Cob

    • Cob is a mixture of soil, sand, straw and water. It is made into a flexible clay-like substance and formed into walls by hand, after which it dries and hardens to a concrete-like consistency. Cob is labor-intensive but very cheap to build with. It provides tremendous thermal mass to regulate the temperature within a home. Cob building is often done by unskilled self-builders and is great for building parties that involve a lot of people. Cob houses should have wide eaves to keep rain and snow off the exterior of the walls. If built properly and kept dry, cob walls can last for hundreds of years, as is proven by the many cob buildings that exist all over the world, including the very rainy United Kingdom.

    Shipping Containers

    • A recent development in the field of alternative architecture is the use of shipping containers for housing. There are millions of shipping containers in the world, and they are extremely durable due to their use for international shipping. Enterprising builders are acquiring these containers, stacking them in unusual ways, cutting holes in them for doors and windows, insulating them and using them for housing. Once people get around the fact that these are shipping containers, they are able to see them as not only functional and inexpensive, but as very compatible with a modernist aesthetic and very adaptable as cutting-edge housing.

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Architecture
  1. Building Plan for a Front Porch
  2. Building Secret Doors in Houses
  3. Building Instructions for a Shed
  4. Methods for Cleaning Straw With Water
  5. Soil Types for Building
  6. Instructions for Building a Teepee
  7. Different Types of Houses in Deserts
  8. Alternative to Straw for Grass Seed
  9. New Insulation Methods for Green Building
  10. Different Building Methods for Room Additions
  11. National Building Code for Single Family Houses
  12. Four Methods of Building With Clay

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