by Peter McIntosh | Dec 22, 2017 | Anita Venter, City of Cape Town, Delft ECD, Early Childhood Development centre, Early Childhood Development centres, Earthen Schools, Ecobricks, Local materials, Long Way Home, Natural building, Natural building course, Peter McIntosh, Sustainable building, Tyre building
“The future belongs to the few of us still willing to get our hands dirty.” – Roland Tiangco As the end of the year approaches, we want to wish you well over the festive season, and thank you for your support in 2017. You helped us finish the Delft...
by Peter McIntosh | Feb 23, 2017 | Adobe, Alternative building, Alternative energy, Cape Town, City of Cape Town, Clay, Cob, Compressed Earth Brick (CEB), Delft ECD, Early Childhood Development centre, Earthen Schools, Ecobricks, Guest post, Hybrid building, Living Sustainably, Local materials, Long Way Home, Mud brick, Natural building, Natural building methods, Natural mortar mixes, Natural plasters, Passive Solar Design, Peter McIntosh, Qala Phelang Tala, Rammed Earth, Strawbale, Sustainable building, Sustainable human settlements, Thermal performance, Tyre building
In Delft, an impoverished township on the outskirts of the Cape Flats, local government is changing its approach to building early childhood development centres with a pioneering project showcasing a hybrid of natural building methods and up-cycled waste materials. By...
by Peter McIntosh | Feb 29, 2016 | Alternative building, Anita Venter, Guest post, Living Sustainably, Local materials, Natural building, Permaculture, Peter McIntosh, Qala Phelang Tala, Reclaimed materials, Shack replacement, Start Living Green, Sustainable building, Sustainable human settlements, Uncategorized
Do we as ethical natural builders have a right to deny someone a home simply based on the argument of its purity? Surely it’s about having the humility to acknowledge that sustainability is about economy and social justice as much as it is about ecology. Scott...
by Peter McIntosh | Feb 15, 2016 | Earth testing, Earth theory, Living Sustainably, Local materials, Natural building, Natural building methods, Peter McIntosh, Rammed Earth, Sand, Sandbag, Sustainable building
The foundation of your natural building needs to be well-considered as the integrity of your building rests here. Decisions you make about your foundation depend on the materials you have available, the type of ground you have to build on and what carbon footprint you...
by Peter McIntosh | Sep 11, 2015 | Adobe, Alternative building, Alternative energy, Clay, Cob, Insulation, Living off-grid, Living Sustainably, Mud brick, Natural building, Natural building methods, Passive Solar Design, Permaculture, Peter McIntosh, Solar energy, Strawbale, Sustainable building, Sustainable human settlements, Thermal mass, Thermal performance
Passive solar design can dramatically reduce our demands on fossil fuels and other forms of energy input, allowing our buildings to become producers and not consumers of energy and resources, supporting us in a healthier more comfortable abundant way. Passive solar...
by Peter McIntosh | Apr 19, 2015 | Alternative energy, Living off-grid, Living Sustainably, Peter McIntosh, Solar energy, Sustainable building, Sustainable human settlements
As the cost of power continues to rise and the cost of solar energy continues to drop, going off grid has never been easier. Learn how to calculate your energy requirements, as well as choose an inverter, batteries and solar panels to suit your needs. Please note in...
