How to build a sustainable house using natural building materials

Summary

The script narrates the journey of building a sustainable, nature-inspired home using traditional techniques. It emphasizes the importance of fresh air, local materials like earth, stone, and lime, and innovative roofing systems without steel. The house design integrates thermal mass for temperature regulation, rainwater harvesting, and natural greywater treatment. The goal is to create an eco-friendly, long-lasting habitat that minimizes environmental impact and preserves resources for future generations.

Takeaways

• 🏡 The script discusses the creation of a sustainable, nature-built habitat designed for human living with an emphasis on clean air and a fresh environment.
• 🛠️ The construction of the house began in 2021, focusing on the use of traditional techniques and materials to build a sustainable and appealing home.
• 🌿 The house incorporates natural elements like water flows and vegetation into its design, using the existing landscape to provide benefits such as sun blocking from the western edge.
• 🏰 The structure served as a training ground for craftsmen, allowing them to learn and apply various sustainable building techniques, including rammed earth construction.
• 🧱 The primary building material used is a mix of earth, lime, and aggregate, creating walls that are both durable and cost-effective due to the use of locally sourced materials.
• 👷‍♂️ Labor-intensive techniques are highlighted, emphasizing the investment in local craftsmanship and the avoidance of expensive materials.
• 🌳 Stone masonry is used extensively, sourced and crafted locally, supporting the local economy and showcasing regional craftsmanship.
• 🌈 Five different types of roofing systems are experimented with, including the rotor dome, wooden roof, and Madras roof, demonstrating a variety of sustainable construction methods.
• 💧 The house features a rainwater harvesting system, utilizing large tanks and filters to collect and store water efficiently during the rainy season.
• 🚰 Greywater management is addressed by using natural and non-toxic products and directing wastewater into pervious circles or mulched beds for decomposition and reuse.
• 🍃 The house is designed to be low-maintenance and long-lasting, with the goal of having a lifespan of 100 to 200 years, reducing the need for future generations to rebuild.

Q & A

What is the main idea behind building a house in a forest as described in the script?

The main idea is to create a sustainable living environment that is in harmony with nature, providing fresh air and a habitat that is built to last for generations.

Why do some people avoid using traditional techniques in construction according to the speaker?

Some people avoid traditional techniques due to the perception that they are hard to maintain or look too rustic, although the speaker suspects the latter is the main reason.

What was the goal in designing the sustainable house mentioned in the script?

The goal was to create a house that is not only sustainable but also aesthetically appealing to urban sensibilities, incorporating natural flows of water and vegetation into its design.

What is the significance of the western edge of the site being well planted in the script?

The well-planted western edge of the site provided a natural buffer that blocks the western sun, which is beneficial for the house's thermal comfort.

What was the training ground for the craftsmen and artisans in the construction process?

The training ground was the structure built by the craftsmen and artisans after learning from the Oracle team, which gave them the confidence to take on larger projects like building an entire rammed earth house.

What are the main materials used in the construction of the house described in the script?

The main materials include earth mixed with lime and aggregate (gravel), stone, and lime plaster for walls, along with different types of roofing systems.

Why was labor-intensive rammed earth construction considered a good thing in this context?

It was considered a good thing because it meant that the money spent on construction was going into the local economy by supporting local labor, rather than on expensive materials.

What is the advantage of using stone as a building material in the house's construction?

Stone is a locally found material in the area, and using it supports local craftsmanship and the local economy, while also being a sustainable choice.

What is the purpose of the different types of roofing systems used in the house?

The different roofing systems serve to demonstrate various sustainable and traditional construction techniques, each with its own benefits in terms of aesthetics, durability, and thermal performance.

How does the house address the issue of thermal mass for temperature regulation?

The house uses rammed earth walls and rounded walls to provide thermal mass, which helps to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter.

What is the approach to waste management and water conservation in the house as described in the script?

The house uses natural and non-toxic products for waste, directs gray water into pervious circles or mulched beds for decomposition and reuse, and employs rainwater harvesting systems to conserve water.

What is the significance of the cellar in the house's design?

The cellar provides a naturally cool and stable environment for storing produce, with different areas for dry goods and root vegetables, ensuring optimal preservation conditions.

How does the house handle human waste in an eco-friendly manner?

The house uses a bio-digester to break down human waste, producing a liquid stream that is used to fertilize the gardens, thus recycling nutrients and closing the loop on waste management.

What is the expected lifespan of the house according to the script?

The house is designed to have a lifespan of 100 to 200 years, using age-old techniques that have proven to last for centuries, relieving future generations of the need to rebuild.

Outlines

00:00

🏡 Building a Sustainable Habitat

The script discusses the importance of living in harmony with nature and the journey of building a sustainable home. The narrator emphasizes the significance of clean air and a fresh environment, particularly the benefits of living in a forest. They recount their experience of constructing a house using traditional and sustainable methods, aiming to create an appealing and sustainable dwelling. The process involved considering natural elements like water flow and vegetation, as well as the strategic placement of the house. The use of rammed earth, local stone, and lime plaster for the walls, along with various roofing techniques, highlights the integration of local craftsmanship and materials, promoting a low-impact lifestyle.

05:01

🌱 Experimenting with Eco-Friendly Roofing and Flooring

This paragraph delves into the experimentation with different eco-friendly roofing and flooring systems for the sustainable home. The focus is on the construction of a roof without steel, using techniques like the flood dome and Catalan arch, showcasing craftsmanship from Rohtak. The wooden roof, made from renewable resources, is highlighted for its simplicity and sustainability. The decision to avoid traditional flooring materials in favor of lime, due to its low embodied energy and non-toxic nature, is explained. The process of learning to create lime floors and the benefits of using lime plaster over paint are also discussed, emphasizing the long-term sustainability of these choices.

10:03

💧 Water Conservation and Waste Management

The script describes the implementation of water conservation and waste management systems in the off-grid home. It details the rainwater harvesting system, which includes filters and a hidden water tank beneath the lawn, capable of collecting up to 150,000 liters during the rainy season. The management of greywater through natural and non-toxic products and directing wastewater into pervious circles or mulched beds is also explained. The use of a bio-digester to process human waste, producing a liquid stream for garden fertilization, completes the loop of waste management, demonstrating a closed-loop system for sustainability.

15:06

🛖 Designing for Longevity and Resource Efficiency

The final paragraph focuses on the design philosophy of creating a home that lasts for centuries, using age-old techniques that have proven their longevity. The importance of avoiding steel in construction to prevent rust and structural failure is highlighted, along with the use of rounded walls for added strength. The use of different roofing systems, such as the Madras roof and the rotor dome, is discussed for their durability and adaptability. The bathrooms, constructed with lime and finished with a traditional Orisha technique, are showcased for their aesthetic and functional qualities. The goal of building an ageless house that relieves future generations from the burden of constant reconstruction is emphasized, reflecting a deep commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency.

Keywords

💡Habitat

A habitat refers to the natural environment in which an organism or a group of organisms live. In the context of the video, it emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with nature, as it is the environment 'built for us by nature.' The script discusses the desire to live in a natural setting, such as a forest, to breathe clean air and be part of the ecosystem.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in this video pertains to the creation of a living environment that can endure over time without depleting resources or causing environmental harm. The script mentions building a 'sustainable house' that is both appealing and environmentally friendly, using natural materials and techniques that minimize the ecological footprint.

💡Rammed Earth

Rammed earth is a construction technique that involves compacting a mixture of earth, lime, and aggregate (gravel) to form sturdy walls. The script describes the process of building with rammed earth, highlighting its labor-intensive nature and the use of materials sourced from the site, which makes it cost-effective and environmentally sound.

💡Thermal Mass

Thermal mass refers to the ability of a material to store and slowly release heat, thereby helping to regulate indoor temperatures. The video mentions the advantage of rounded rammed earth walls for their thermal mass, which keeps the house cool in summer and warm in winter, illustrating the concept's practical application in sustainable building design.

💡Roofing Systems

Roofing systems in the video encompass various techniques and materials used to construct the roof of a house. The script describes multiple types of roofing, such as the 'rotor dome,' 'Catalan arch,' wooden roof, and 'Madras roof,' each serving different functions and aesthetic purposes while contributing to the overall sustainability of the house.

💡Lime Plaster

Lime plaster is a type of wall finish made from lime, which is a traditional and eco-friendly alternative to modern paint. The script explains that lime plaster is used on the rammed earth walls to provide a non-toxic and long-lasting finish, emphasizing the preference for natural materials over synthetic ones.

💡Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting and storing rainwater for later use, often for irrigation or non-potable household needs. The video describes a system with filters and tanks that collect water from the house, demonstrating an efficient way to manage water resources and reduce dependency on external water supplies.

💡Greywater

Greywater is the wastewater generated from activities such as washing hands, bathing, and laundry, which can be treated and reused for purposes like irrigation. The script discusses the management of greywater through natural and non-toxic products and its redirection into mulched beds, showcasing an environmentally conscious approach to waste management.

💡Bio Digester

A bio digester is a system that processes human waste through bacterial decomposition, producing biogas and a nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer. The video explains how the bio digester in the house treats human waste, turning it into a beneficial resource for the garden, thus closing the loop on waste management.

💡Orisha

Orisha is a traditional technique of finishing floors and walls with lime, creating a smooth and polished surface. The script describes the process of applying Orisha in the house, from the leveling plaster to the final polish with oil, illustrating the attention to detail and craftsmanship in the construction of the sustainable home.

💡Durability

Durability in the context of the video refers to the longevity and resilience of the house's construction, aiming to last for centuries. The script mentions the use of age-old techniques and materials that have proven to be durable over time, such as rammed earth and lime, in contrast to modern materials that may not last as long.

Highlights

The desire to live in harmony with nature and build a sustainable habitat.

Importance of fresh air and the benefits of living in a forest environment.

The journey from 2021 to building a house using traditional and sustainable techniques.

Challenges and perceptions of using traditional techniques in modern construction.

Innovative approach to creating a sustainable and aesthetically appealing house.

Utilization of natural flows of water and vegetation in the site planning.

The strategic placement of the house to take advantage of the existing vegetation for sun protection.

The use of rammed earth as a primary building material for its sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Employment of local craftsmen and artisans to preserve and promote traditional skills.

Innovative plastering with lime instead of paint for a healthier and longer-lasting finish.

Experimentation with five different types of roofing systems for optimal performance.

Craftsmanship of rotor domes and Catalan arches without the use of steel or shuttering.

The choice of wood as a renewable resource for roofing and its environmental benefits.

Adoption of lime floors over cement for their lower embodied energy and non-toxic nature.

Design of the kitchen with large windows for natural light and connection to the farm.

Introduction of a filler slab roofing system as an alternative to traditional concrete roofs.

Creation of a cellar for optimal storage of produce at a stable temperature.

Implementation of a rainwater harvesting system with filters and triple tanks.

Management of greywater through natural filtration and reuse in gardening.

Use of bio digesters to recycle human waste and fertilize gardens sustainably.

Longevity and durability of the house designed to last for centuries with minimal maintenance.

Emphasis on age-old techniques for their proven sustainability and reduced environmental impact.

Transcripts

We feel that this is our habitat.

This was the environment that was built for us by nature.

And just like other species, we are also supposed to live here.

Having a fresh environment where we could breathe clean air was equally important,

and living in a forest really helps you do that.

And we needed to build a shelter for ourselves

so that we could start living here.

And that's really what brought us.

And 2021 to the point where we started building a house

for ourselves to live in.

I'm wondering

whether people don't want to use traditional techniques

because they're hard to maintain or because they feel they look too rustic.

I suspect the reason is the latter.

I've also had people telling me things

like, Well, you can live in a mud house, that icon.

But if you see this house, it doesn't look like a mud house like.

And this was what we were trying to achieve to make a sustainable house,

which also is appealing to the urban sensibility.

So what we were looking at is

what are the natural flows of the water, of the vegetation?

What is the placement, you know, where we want to build.

This is the main road.

What was really interesting

was that the western edge of the site was also really, really well planted.

So that already gave us sort of this buffer to block the western sun

that was already in place.

Manisha Brief was that we want

really try as many techniques as much as is possible,

which was very exciting for us, but also a challenge of how do you

how do you put so many materials, so many roofing techniques together

and still make the house look cohesive?

This structure was actually a training ground.

Once our craftsmen and artisans learned RAM from the Oracle team,

then we had the courage

to take on something bigger, like building an entire house of rammed up.

The house has been divided into two arms.

One is the public arm and one is the private arm.

They are about five or six main materials which make up this house.

The primary, one of them being a

bulk of the walls, are made out of earth,

along with lime and aggregate, which is gravel.

So you can see here and how they've actually been built

nine centimeters by nine centimeters with every ramming that has been done.

It is labor intensive process.

It works out to be as expensive or cheap

because you don't spend anything on material.

Your material is pretty much free.

It's come from your site.

What you spend on is labor.

And to my mind, that's always a good thing because at least you are putting money

into the right pockets.

Then the other material that we've used is stone.

So Stone is a very locally found

material in our area and the craftsmanship is also very local.

So these two masons who worked on all the stone walls are very much

from our village.

And I'm really glad that we could just employ somebody locally

instead of getting someone from outside to do this kind of work.

This is

the, you know, the living room space, which is also made in rammed Earth.

But what you will see is that the walls are not brown, but the walls agree.

And the reason for that is that they have actually been plastered

with lime plaster and so much more preferable than paint

because paints are toxic and you have to repaint your house again and again.

But this is lime plaster and it should hopefully stay like this

for a long time to come.

So here we have five different types of roofing systems.

One of the attractions of this room is the cattle on the roof that you see on top.

This is a little bit of a combination of a flood

dome and a Catalan arch.

This is some great piece of craftsmanship done

by the team from Rohtak, who are very well known to do the rotor domes.

And these roofs are built without any shuddering and any steel.

You know, they start from the four corners.

They start putting them like, you know, each one is like an arch.

And so it holds its own weight and doesn't collapse.

And because of the tilt, the weight falls on the previous arch.

And just like that, it keeps building up.

Takes about four days to build a roof like this.

And it's an absolute delight to watch them in action.

So the

second roof that we wanted to experiment with was a wooden roof.

It's got rafters,

which are three inches by six inches, and then boards on top of it.

Again, it doesn't have any steel, It doesn't require any shattering.

In my mind.

Wood is a renewable resource, especially because we ourselves

have planted so many trees that we understand the,

the value of the tree and the renew

ability of a tree.

We were not keen to use floors which are tiles or marble

or stone, because frankly, none of that is native to our area.

So the two options we had was that either we make a cement floor

or we make a lime floor.

So I didn't want to use cement again just because of its high

embodied energy and the toxic nature of cement.

Lime was something that we really liked the idea of.

However, the challenge was that nobody knew how to make lime floors.

So we got a team of three

people here over a few days and they taught us how to do Lime book,

which is very different from cement, because cement is like,

you quick fix, whereas lime is a little bit more patient

and you have to put on your music and you have to keep working with it.

Slowly, slowly, it sets.

So this is our kitchen.

Also, remember for us, this is from first house second.

So it's still very much the farm and we wanted to have that connect.

So we have pretty big windows that that overlook the gardens.

So therefore a lot of natural light.

The kitchen again you will see is a combination of ram dirt and stone.

And from here you'll also be able to see that the Ram road wall

is about 13 and a half inches in width.

But the advantage of having a rounded wall is the thermal mass, which helps to keep

the whole school in summer and helps to keep the house warm in winter.

So the kitchen here has a third roofing system

that we wanted to demonstrate, which is called a filler slab,

but we added the parts in it and it also adds a little bit of a static feature

people could consider if they still want to stick to making a concrete

roof.

We used to really struggle

to find place to store our produce and to keep it in good condition

because, you know, we do go through a very hot summer.

So we need to have a, you know, an environment,

but at a temperature, which is not 45, but not five either.

Something in between and the cellar offers us just the right ambient temperature

to keep those vegetables breathing and alive.

Yeah. So this is our cellar.

And the part that I'm standing in right now is the dry cellar.

Well, this environment is great for dry produce, like pulses,

cereals, legumes, onions, garlic and peanuts.

It's not a great environment for things like vegetables, potatoes,

root vegetables because they don't like light at all.

So for them, we have to store them in a dark environment.

Absolutely dark environment.

And that's exactly what we have inside this room.

The reason it has to be absolutely dark

is because otherwise all your root vegetables will start sprouting.

Also, if you have a lot of light, you will get worried.

So Cellar has basically three things that you need to keep in mind.

The first is temperature.

And luckily by just going underground, temperature sort of taken care of.

So even if it's 46 outside, it will be 25 inside.

The second thing is ventilation.

And that's why you will see that there is a lot of

you know, input output circulation systems that we've made.

And the third thing is humidity, because without that, there'll be shrinkage.

So here you can see this is RB co-location.

This feed must have harvested maybe about two, three months ago.

Here you will see ginger and this we harvested maybe a month ago.

And here there is also some turmeric,

which again be harvested sometime back.

You can see this beautiful turmeric. Mm.

All lying here looking fresh and healthy.

Okay,

let me take you to the outdoor kitchen.

So what we are

standing on right now is actually three rainwater tanks.

And here what we've done is we've built two filters.

This is one filter where water gathers from half the house

and the other filters on that side of the walls,

which gets water from the other half of the house.

And there is a water tank hidden beneath the lawn,

which is a rainwater harvesting tank.

So all this water gets filtered here, fills up the rainwater harvesting tank.

The minute it reaches a certain level, the sensor comes on, it starts

pumping water into the triple tank.

The rainwater that I calculated we are getting here

is about 150,000 liters of water during the rainy season,

and I just couldn't build water tanks of that capacity.

There's more water out there than we think there is.

The question is whether we are managing it properly or not.

When you live off grid,

basically you have no sewage and you have no municipality,

so you become quite responsible for your own waste.

So what we've done with our greywater is that, one, we have absolutely changed

the kind of products we use in our washrooms.

They are all natural and nontoxic.

And the second thing that we did was that we have directed this wastewater

into pervious circles or mulched beds.

So you will see that this structure here is actually a toilet, this one.

And from here there is water coming out from the washbasins, which is gray water.

Now, this gray water, we've actually taken into this little garden feature,

which is a papaya circle,

kind of a structure with lemon grass going on both on all sides.

And here we've also dumped a lot of our waste.

For example, kitchen waste and other things.

And the pipe from this bathroom is going straight into this

and delivering the water at the center of this hole.

So what's happening with the water?

It's keeping this moist.

It keeps a lemon grass going through the year.

It's decomposing the waste and getting used up in this garden itself.

So you don't need to actually transport your gray water away out somewhere.

You can just do it, you know, around the house.

And as long as it's covered in, well, mulched pits or beds,

you won't have a problem of flies or of mosquitoes or anything like that.

Okay.

So that was really the

formal part of our house, the place where we entertain people.

We have workshops, we have guests, we have visitors.

Now, let me show you a little bit about the rest of the spaces

and what kind of sustainable techniques we've used to build

those.

What we've given here

is actually another type of roofing system which is made out of metal pipes

and sandstone.

Then this is really are then and are office space.

So here again, we've experimented with a different roofing system.

What you see here is what's called the Madras roof.

This is made with the help of wood rafters.

And then in the middle of them is simple

brick tiles and cement.

Well,

we're finally entering the space, which leads into our bedrooms.

All the bedrooms look pretty much the same.

So let's take a look at it.

What we have here in terms of the roofing system

is actually the rotor dome, and it's a very shallow dome.

It has a riser of only nine inches.

As a result, you can actually build another floor on top of it.

And that is what makes it a very useful roof

to have even in a multi-story structure.

One of the spaces that actually takes

a lot of resources, which we do not really realize are our bathrooms,

You know, we have to put stones in them, tiles, fixtures, a whole lot of things.

And so we've built the bathrooms in lime itself.

But the thing I want to draw your attention to

is this beautiful work which has been done in line.

This is what we call Orisha,

and this is the work that's been done on the floors all over the house,

but on the walls, in the kitchen and in the bathroom.

And the technique is really you start with a leveling plaster.

Then you put another layer of a slightly finer lime

mixture and finally even finer lime mixture.

And then the last layer

is actually just a lime liquid, actually a solution of lime,

which has the tiniest particles of lime which fill up any leftover balls.

And finally, it's sealed with soap and then polished with oil.

Even though it has so many imperfections, you just don't mind them.

But even if you repaired it, you know, it doesn't look bad at all.

Now, an important feature of the toilet

is really what you do with your human manure.

Where does the poop go?

So in our piece, the poop all goes into a bio digestive

and it all the bacteria breaks down the waste

in the bio digester and produces a stream of liquid

that's stream of liquid is channelized into our gardens

and released into a sorbent and which basically ends up

fertilizing the area and recycling the nutrients left in the human waste.

So this is how we close the loop on our human waste

as well.

Remember that when

conventional roofs and homes give away

because the steel in them has rusted now and because of that,

the whole holding structure holding capacity of that structure gives way

and the structure breaks.

So if you have no steel in the first place,

nothing is going to give away till the walls are standing.

These roofs will stand.

And if you have rounded walls, you can be assured that these walls

are going to last definitely more than your lifetime.

One of our main briefs was that

this house should have a life of 100 or 200 years.

There is absolutely no reason why we should be breaking and remaking houses

every generation.

We wanted to make a house which is ageless, which will last forever

and will relieve our next generation

of the burden of having to build another structure for themselves.

And we found in our research that the age old techniques were the best.

They lasted for centuries, whereas the new techniques

hardly last for a few decades.