Sneak Peek
Alternative ways to construct buildings with alternative materials.
Learn to Build a Shelter from natural materials with our 20 hour self-guided course. This is an inexpensive, unique and creative way to construct a small building.
People have been building shelters from natural materials since the dawn of civilisation. Mud, straw and wood are materials that have always been plentiful. A wide range of construction techniques have developed and been refined, based on the use of these materials.
This course covers the following lessons:
LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION TO ALTERNATIVE BUILDING
Strength and durability
Covering the structure
Types of straw, wood & mud construction
What can be built & why
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 2 SCOPE, NATURE, AND APPLICATIONS
The basics
Straw bale construction
Sustainability
Ease of use
Durability
Cost
Non-toxic
Insulation
Fire and pest resistance
Aesthetics
Community involvement
Seismic resistance
Applications for straw bales
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 3 PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS
Potential problems
Structural movement
Permits
Maintenance
Fire risk
Rising damp
Rain
Humidity and moisture
Pests
Odour and allergies
Gaps
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 4 WORKING WITH BALES
Types of bales
Types of straw
Shape and dimensions
Size
Working with straw bales
Moisture content
Laying bales
Different systems of using straw for construction
Fixing bales in place
Loadbearing walls
Roof plates
Roof plate tiedowns
Pinning the bales
Settling and precompression
Infill bale wall
Retrofits
Mortared bale walls
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 5 FOUNDATIONS AND FLOORS
Foundations
Stone foundations
Pier foundations
Other options
Floors
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 6 WINDOWS, DOORS, ROOFS
Framing and roofing
Roofs
The pyramid roof
The gable roof
The shed roof
The flat roof
The living roof
Windows and doors
In loadbearing bale walls
Lintels
Bale infill walls
Fixings
Frames
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 7 FINISHING
Finishing options
Coatings, sealers and sealants
Plastering straw walls
Netting
Finishes
What type of plaster?
Cement stucco
Lime plasters
Gypsum plasters
Earth plasters
Latex/vinyl paints
Final effects
Colours
Sealants
Plaster additives
Rub down
Other effects
Lime or ammonium casein paints
Calcimine distemper paints
Simple oil paints
Coloured washes
Other products
Maintenance
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 8 ALTERNATIVE ROOFING MATERIALS
Introduction
Thatching
Durability
Types of materials
Thatching process
Standard method
Single layered method
Non-standard and traditional thatching
Tiling
Types of materials
Notes on methods
Wood tiles
Suitable varieties of wood
Wood tiling process
Slate tiles
Mangalore tiles
Bark roofs
Japanese bark roofing
Australian bush huts
Dome roofs
Constructing a geodesic dome roof
Mud brick dome
Skylights
Skylight placement
Materials and installation
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 9 ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR BUILDING WALLS
Introduction
Components of wall construction
Reinforcing and stabilising
Protecting against deterioration
Wattle and daub
An early English description
Poured earth
Rammed earth
Bottle walls
Tyre walls
Review what you have been learning
Final assessment