Owner-builder journey | A home that would grow a forest
Five years ago, Peter McIntosh gave me +- 900 sun-baked mud bricks, for an extension to my house. With little start up money, a trickle of income, some plans on google sketch up, a pickaxe and, most importantly, plenty of time, I finally started the process a year ago…
Lebone Village launch
Imagine being outside on a chilly Free State winter morning with the sun just coming out and starting to gently warm your body. Now imagine being told to take off your shoes in order to trudge in icy cold mud. I glanced at my fellow volunteers and I saw a collective...Understanding Earth II: Testing earth
By Peter McIntosh (Please note that in order to understand what is written here you will need to have read my previous post on understanding earth) Earth requires two properties to make it strong enough for building, compressive and tensile strength. In much the...
Building with Light Earth: A versatile natural building material
Light Earth is a sustainable and adaptable natural building material that blends clay and straw to create lightweight, insulating blocks for walls, ceilings, and more. Learn how this technique offers a durable and eco-friendly alternative in natural construction.