Coming Soon -Natural Building Series

A home built with natural materials in the Community of Civano - Tucson, AZ (Terrain.org)

This is the introduction to a three-part series that takes a deep dive into the world of Natural Building. We explore what makes a natural building, ways that natural buildings can have a profound and lasting impact on human well-being and the environment, and how natural building may hold the key to sustaining healthy and resilient communities here in Arizona.

This year temperatures and the housing market have something in common in Arizona: they are scorching hot and setting records. According to Zillow’s Home Value Index, home values in Arizona have increased by nearly 20 percent over the past year and are likely to rise at a similar rate over the next 12 months. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the global supply chains that conventional building materials depend on, slowing new home construction to a crawl. Combine that with Arizona becoming the seventh most popular state in which to move and the inventory of available housing being relatively low, it will be more difficult for individuals and families to choose where they would like to live while staying within their budget.

Bathhouse in Tucson constructed using rammed earth, a natural building material and technique. (Natural Building Works)

There is a solution; a path forward with homes that are affordable, not reliant on complex supply chains, have a low carbon impact, provide well-being to its inhabitants, and perform better than homes built with conventional materials in Arizona’s dynamic climate. Enter natural buildings, which as the name suggests are buildings constructed primarily from materials closest to their current or natural state, as opposed to conventional buildings which are generally made up of industrial and highly-processed materials that require heavy fossil fuel use, toxic chemicals, and create massive amounts of waste. In fact, an analysis by the EPA estimated that 2018 alone generated 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris including steel, wood products, drywall, brick, asphalt, and concrete. Natural buildings constructed using simple methods offer a solution to the devastating problems of waste and hazardous materials that degrade our ecosystems. 

Local First Arizona sat down with a diverse group of local experts and professionals to get an in-depth perspective on the materials used in natural building, the advantages and quality of life that natural buildings can provide to inhabitants, and how a shift towards natural building can combat the effects of climate change and protect Arizonans from future spikes in housing prices. Stay tuned as we explore the world of natural building and learn about exciting new projects featuring natural building methods that could shape how we live in the future.