Natural Building: Creating Communities Through Cooperation

This brilliant book combines the wisdom of a great reference tool with the wonder of an inspiration guidebook. Basics in foundations, framing, wall systems, and roofs are explored through the shared experiences of teachers, students, and seekers who came together one summer to build a folly and created a legacy. The value of natural building is told in four parallel stories. At its core is a primer on low-impact and very accessible building techniques, materials, and approaches. Even more, it is a narrative of shared experience and camaraderie. The book yields insights about the value of teaching in a mentoring, experiential, and enabling manner. It is also a glimpse into how natural building projects -- when done with care and purpose -- can re-stitch the fabric of community lost to so many.

The editors worked on this book under the auspices of Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont. The school inspires people to create a better, more sustainable world by providing hands-on education that integrates design and craft as an interactive process. For more information about the school, visit www.yestermorrow.org.