Here you can find an index of blog posts on Ben's Natural Building.

 

Here you can find an index of blog posts on Ben's Natural Building.

 

Building an Off-Grid, Self-Sufficient Tiny Home

Posted by Ben on 01-26-24

 

Unlike many tiny homes out there, this tiny home requires no hookups to operate; generates its own photovoltaic electricity; collects and filters potable rainwater; features a versatile multi-fuel stove for heating and cooking; and was built without the use of vinyl, MDF panels, fiberglass insulation, or other off-gassing materials. [...]

Read the full post at "Building an Off-Grid, Self-Sufficient Tiny Home" ...

 

                                                               

Building a Reciprocal Roof Roundhouse: Life Energy Awakenings

Posted by Ben on 04-04-15

When doing a reciprocal roof the traditional way, using round timbers, you can simply notch them out with a chainsaw. But our milled timbers needed to be lapped and bedded just right, to ensure an exact fit. [...]

Read the full post at "Building a Reciprocal Roof Roundhouse: Life Energy Awakenings" ...

Redesigning the Chicken Ark: Unadilla Community Farm

Posted by Ben on 05-06-14

 

Our first natural building project has been the chicken ark, a mobile 10-hen coop that exemplifies the mission of the project: it's built with natural, locally sourced or salvaged materials; designed with the health and comfort of its inhabitants in mind; and it improves upon an existing design for DIY coop builders. [...] 

Read the full post at "Redesigning the Chicken Ark: Unadilla Community Farm" ...

Rocket Mass Heater Design/Build Workshop: Earth Sky Time Farm

Posted by Ben on 26-02-13

The diagonal feed of the stove is a feature I've been wanting to test out for some time. Normally the feed of a contemporary wood-burning stove is horizontal, and on a few models you can find vertical feeds. Vertical feeds are very popular on rocket mass heaters, because they allow [...]

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Building a Rocket Stove Sauna: Earth Sky Time Farm

Posted by Ben on 16-02-13

Earth Sky Time is a community-based organic farm in the beautiful, wooded foothills of the Taconic mountains, just outside of Manchester, Vermont, USA. In addition to year-round sustainable agriculture, they also have a wood-fired bakery (featuring a massive Catalan wood-fired [...]

Read the full post at "Building a Rocket Stove Sauna: Earth Sky Time Farm" ...

Thermal Mass Stove Design/Build Workshop: La Caseta de Milmanda

Posted by Ben on 19-02-12

La Caseta de Milmanda is a Catalan community-based eco-project located on some farmland in a beautiful, rural valley outside L'Espluga de Francolí. It provides organic, seasonal produce to local families and businesses, and also holds classes and workshops on sustainable agriculture [...]

Read the full post at "Thermal Mass Stove Design/Build Workshop: La Caseta de Milmanda" ...

Rocket Mass Heater Design/Build Workshop: Restaurant Selmellà 

Posted by Ben on 11-12-11

In the country of Catalunya, in the mountains of Alt Camp, located just outside the village of Pont d'Armentera is a family-owned restaurant called Restaurant Selmellà. From the ancient mountaintop estate of Cal Figueres where the restaurant is located, guests enjoy dazzling views [...]

Read the full post at "Rocket Mass Heater Design/Build Workshop: Restaurant Selmellà" ...

Introduction to Natural Building Course: La Caseta de Milmanda

Posted by Ben on 19-06-11

The very first project we underwent when I arrived was the building of a green roof over a cob oven to protect it from the elements, and the restoration of the cob oven as it had already been exposed to the Catalan monsoons for a couple of rainy seasons. As both the oven and the roof [...]

Read the full post at "Introduction to Natural Building Course: La Caseta de Milmanda" ...

Building an Ecological Treehouse Hotel: Cabanes als Arbres

Posted by Ben on 09-06-11

Cabanes als Arbres is a family-owned hotel, located way up in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees, near the town of Sant Hilary Sacalm. Up there the mountains are covered with thick forests, especially chestnut and firs, and inhabited by wild boar. From the ridges and high places, you can [...]

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Building a Straw Bale Home: the Cal Cases Community

Posted by Ben on 12-06-11

Cal Cases is an intentional community of around 30 people (including children), located near Santa Maria d'Oló in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees. In 2010, I had the good fortune of working with Cal Cases and I must say that it was a tremendous experience, living and working with such a happy, successful community! It was a [...]

Read the full post at "Building a Straw Bale Home: the Cal Cases Community" ...

 

Building an All-Natural Chicken Tractor

Posted by Ben on 06-11-16

In the autumn of 2016, I was tasked with building a small, portable chicken tractor for a suburban home. And being as I am, I decided to make a natural building challenge out of the task! In order to meet my own high standards, the coop would need to satisfy the following criteria [...]

Read the full post at "Building an All-Natural Chicken Tractor" ...