Studying and practicing natural building since acquiring my 1st toolbelt back in 1991 as framing crew for a straw-bale house. And eventually getting paid to build in cob, super adobe, cement-dome earth shelters, and mainstream stick framing as well. Over the years I've acquired certifications in Permaculture Design, Solar installation and design, HVAC & refrigeration and registered as an apprentice electrician, plumber, and carpenter despite being far from a novice in any of those trades.
As a Permaculturist, I believe in always stacking functions and tend to favor designs such as solar carports, solar shade structures for aquaponics tanks, solar roofing tiles, etc. Another Permaculture principle is to return all surplus to the land and the people, so I am also fond of invisible structuring solutions organized as business cooperatives forming micro-grids to decentralize power as well as water and food supplies. I now have nearly 28-years of research and real world experience in natural building pattern vocabularies ranging from Green Building and Permaculture to Bau-Biologie, Bio-dynamics, and Feng Shui.
My personal favorite material is bamboo and I've been experimenting with small geodesic bamboo structures for 20+ years now. But have also gained experience with MgO 'cerami-crete' as an alternative cement binding agent and am looking forward to combining that to make both hemp-crete and aerated lightweight concrete. I'll be sharing my favorite design pattern vocabulary through this channel and using my own evolving private multi-family cooperative compound design as a case study to share how the patterns may be fit together.
I'll be sharing my curated pattern recipes for design features, both modern and indigenous, through this account channel. In general addressing the three pillars of Permaculture design, the physical structures, the gardening structures and the invisible structures, as well as the power structures that feed them all with 'juice' to run on.