Arriving from all over the United States and with origins as far away as France, the six students in the Natural Building Certificate Program at Yestermorrow trickled into the campus in the Mad River Valley on Sunday, May 11, to start a summer-long journey into the world of building with natural materials. This revolutionary, hands-on experience is in its second year of existence and is designed to inform students on the characteristics and potential of natural building materials, the infinite applications of these materials, and involves a real-life project in which the students will put their knowledge to the test. Building on the success of 2007's inaugural Natural Building Certificate program, this year's project scope has been expanded in scale while remaining true to the ideas of local material use. This year's project site is located on a beautiful hillside amongst the birch and maple trees of Knoll Farm and overlooks the lush, green mountains of the Mad River Valley.
Upon arriving at the Yestermorrow campus, new students were greeted by informed and welcoming interns who participate in a popular work-trade program offered by the school. After getting settled into their respective living quarters, ranging from strawbale cabins to tent platforms nestled in the woods, from campus dorm rooms to Vanagon campers, the students sat down to a delicious spread of local food-fare, lovingly created by the creative kitchen staff of Yestermorrow. Pleasantly plump from dinner, the students and instructors continued with an informal meet and greet and laid the groundwork for the groundbreaking coursework ahead of them.
For the better part of Monday and Tuesday, the students listened and questioned with inspiration and intention as instructors Jacob “Deva” Racussin and Ben Graham discussed many of the different natural building materials and the even more varied uses of them in the world of construction. A focus on materials native to Vermont were highlighted in direct relation to their use in the project on Knoll Farm. Unlike many areas of the United States that have been degraded and depleted of their natural resources, the state of Vermont offers much of the natural beauty, and hence materials, that have made their home here for millenia. However, many of the students were amazed at how readily available many of the materials are to most localities. As with dialects or food dishes, natural building materials vary from place to place. Some of the more universal materials generally found in most places include clay and sand for plasters and finishes, strawbales used in highly-insulated wall systems, a variety of soft and hardwoods from trees used in their natural state or milled into framing lumber, timberframes, flooring or trimwork, and stone to build a variety of foundation systems, as well as landscaping and other aesthetic details.
On Wednesday the crew loaded into the trusty, campus van and headed off on the scenic highways of Vermont for a tour of structures utilizing some of the materials and applications they became familiar with over the previous two days. The first stop offered an interesting blend of natural and conventional building materials and emphasized how the two can be used in harmony to achieve high-efficiency while treading lighter on the earth. Having built and designed the timberframe for the home, instructor Ben Graham gave the students a first-hand tour of the structural system while Jacob Racussin, better known as “Deva” and an earthen-plaster master, highlighted the benefits of the strawbale-infill walls and how they work synergistically with natural plasters. While utilizing the natural strength and beauty of a timberframe structure, more high-tech systems such as radiant flooring and a wood-fired boiler were integrated into the house providing warmth for the home through the cold, Vermont winter. While the extent of conventional heating and cooling systems can be
reduced or even replaced through attention to detail and passive-solar design, the integration of these systems into natural structures offers a hybrid combination that may be more realistic and appealing to some home-owners.
The next stop on the tour focused on the ability to create structures from materials found right on site and how the concept of “living off the land” can be applied to the context of natural building. By adhering to some of the tenets of permaculture to actually grow and harvest your own building materials and observing what materials are available on the land, the homeowner is able to utilize natural materials for structures while symbiotically creating a food supply. Some of the highlighted structures included a wood-fired sauna made from on-site materials and a passive, solar-powered composting toilet system. The students noted that by understanding natural processes and becoming familiar with native, food-producing plants, a homeowner can actually work with nature to improve the eco-system on a given property, rather than degrade a piece of land in pursuit of the whimsical desires of the conventional “American Dream”.
The next site visit continued the theme of using materials from the property, while integrating the ideas of reuse and community. Set on a hillside with 130 mile views of Vermont's Green Mountains, a home made of straw and clay sat humbly, whispering the stories of the estimated 500 people who helped build the structure. By engaging the local community into the building process, the homeowners not only helped to educate and inspire others on the wonders of natural building, but also got a amazing amount of free labor! The idea of “work parties” has been lost in our pursuit of the consumer mentality so often found in America. The revival of this not-so-long-ago tradition represents an integral part of the ideals of natural building and most importantly, they are really fun for folks of all ages.
The final destination of the tour showed the application of natural building in the context of a public space. Faced with a growing student population and needing more classroom space, a Waldorf school outside of Plainfield, Vermont approached course instructor Ben Graham about designing a new space for the 8th grade students. Ben's approach to the design was truly inspiring and rather unique, especially considering the school wanted a structure that could be moved at a later date. Additionally, the natural build students had the chance to speak with the Waldorf students about their impression of the space. It was noted that the natural light entering the classroom helped the students to focus and put them at ease. One eighth grader mentioned that while the kids in the main building complained about being too hot in the warmer months or chilly in the winter, the students in the strawbale classroom stayed comfortable year-round, even sporting t-shirts in January. The benefits of natural building extend not only to the environment, but also to the people occupying these beautiful spaces.
Having passed on some knowledge of natural building materials and techniques and shown the students some real-life applications of their uses, instructors Jacob and Ben challenged the students to create their own scale models of some natural wall systems. The fun started Thursday when the group traveled to some local spots within a few minutes of the campus to gather some materials for the project. The first stop took the collective to a beautiful vein of clay that had been exposed by the meticulous work of a small brook. The natural properties of the material were quickly noted when one student unintentionally showed the rest of the class how to take a mud bath! After filling up some buckets with the slippery, yet sticky material, the class headed off to another quarry to gather some sand.
Upon returning to the Yestermorrow campus (and after a few students changed into less muddy clothes!), the class divided into two groups and began the process of designing models of two different natural wall systems: a straw-bale wall and a wood-chip clay wall. The latter system involves an insulative infill of wood-chips mixed with a clay slip and can be formed within a variety of wall structures, from traditional stud frames to lath and plaster systems to a wicker-like style known as waddle and daub. The straw bale system is often used as a highly insulative wall system for timber frame structures and can also be utilized with more conventional post and beam or stud frames.
The process of designing the systems proved challenging, yet rewarding, as the students gathered more materials from the campus grounds and started to see how the individual pieces fit together as a whole. By offering advice, yet taking a step back from their role as instructors, Jacob and Ben guided the process but left the details up to each group. Rather than presenting a classroom lecture, this approach resulted in a more thorough, hands-on and comprehensive understanding of the respective systems, and embodies the style of learning found in so many of the classes offered at Yestermorrow. Each group presented their model on Friday, which fostered a further understanding of how the systems work and the purpose and function of each material. Additionally, these models will serve as visual aids for future Yestermorrow students to observe and improve upon.
As Friday came to a close, the students and instructors embraced in group hugs and a great feeling of accomplishment. The week was a great start to a wonderful summer in the mountains of Vermont. As I walked back to my Volkswagen home-on-wheels after an evening of food, drink, and celebration, I reminisced on how perfectly the week came together. The campus of Yestermorrow and the students and teachers it attracts provide an infectious energy that is wonderfully contagious. While I thought about the week ahead and beginning work on the project at Knoll Farm, the moon peaked out from behind the Green Mountains, casting a soft light over the campus and reminded me to instead enjoy the moment at hand.
Upon arriving at the Yestermorrow campus, new students were greeted by informed and welcoming interns who participate in a popular work-trade program offered by the school. After getting settled into their respective living quarters, ranging from strawbale cabins to tent platforms nestled in the woods, from campus dorm rooms to Vanagon campers, the students sat down to a delicious spread of local food-fare, lovingly created by the creative kitchen staff of Yestermorrow. Pleasantly plump from dinner, the students and instructors continued with an informal meet and greet and laid the groundwork for the groundbreaking coursework ahead of them.
For the better part of Monday and Tuesday, the students listened and questioned with inspiration and intention as instructors Jacob “Deva” Racussin and Ben Graham discussed many of the different natural building materials and the even more varied uses of them in the world of construction. A focus on materials native to Vermont were highlighted in direct relation to their use in the project on Knoll Farm. Unlike many areas of the United States that have been degraded and depleted of their natural resources, the state of Vermont offers much of the natural beauty, and hence materials, that have made their home here for millenia. However, many of the students were amazed at how readily available many of the materials are to most localities. As with dialects or food dishes, natural building materials vary from place to place. Some of the more universal materials generally found in most places include clay and sand for plasters and finishes, strawbales used in highly-insulated wall systems, a variety of soft and hardwoods from trees used in their natural state or milled into framing lumber, timberframes, flooring or trimwork, and stone to build a variety of foundation systems, as well as landscaping and other aesthetic details.
On Wednesday the crew loaded into the trusty, campus van and headed off on the scenic highways of Vermont for a tour of structures utilizing some of the materials and applications they became familiar with over the previous two days. The first stop offered an interesting blend of natural and conventional building materials and emphasized how the two can be used in harmony to achieve high-efficiency while treading lighter on the earth. Having built and designed the timberframe for the home, instructor Ben Graham gave the students a first-hand tour of the structural system while Jacob Racussin, better known as “Deva” and an earthen-plaster master, highlighted the benefits of the strawbale-infill walls and how they work synergistically with natural plasters. While utilizing the natural strength and beauty of a timberframe structure, more high-tech systems such as radiant flooring and a wood-fired boiler were integrated into the house providing warmth for the home through the cold, Vermont winter. While the extent of conventional heating and cooling systems can be
reduced or even replaced through attention to detail and passive-solar design, the integration of these systems into natural structures offers a hybrid combination that may be more realistic and appealing to some home-owners.
The next stop on the tour focused on the ability to create structures from materials found right on site and how the concept of “living off the land” can be applied to the context of natural building. By adhering to some of the tenets of permaculture to actually grow and harvest your own building materials and observing what materials are available on the land, the homeowner is able to utilize natural materials for structures while symbiotically creating a food supply. Some of the highlighted structures included a wood-fired sauna made from on-site materials and a passive, solar-powered composting toilet system. The students noted that by understanding natural processes and becoming familiar with native, food-producing plants, a homeowner can actually work with nature to improve the eco-system on a given property, rather than degrade a piece of land in pursuit of the whimsical desires of the conventional “American Dream”.
The next site visit continued the theme of using materials from the property, while integrating the ideas of reuse and community. Set on a hillside with 130 mile views of Vermont's Green Mountains, a home made of straw and clay sat humbly, whispering the stories of the estimated 500 people who helped build the structure. By engaging the local community into the building process, the homeowners not only helped to educate and inspire others on the wonders of natural building, but also got a amazing amount of free labor! The idea of “work parties” has been lost in our pursuit of the consumer mentality so often found in America. The revival of this not-so-long-ago tradition represents an integral part of the ideals of natural building and most importantly, they are really fun for folks of all ages.
The final destination of the tour showed the application of natural building in the context of a public space. Faced with a growing student population and needing more classroom space, a Waldorf school outside of Plainfield, Vermont approached course instructor Ben Graham about designing a new space for the 8th grade students. Ben's approach to the design was truly inspiring and rather unique, especially considering the school wanted a structure that could be moved at a later date. Additionally, the natural build students had the chance to speak with the Waldorf students about their impression of the space. It was noted that the natural light entering the classroom helped the students to focus and put them at ease. One eighth grader mentioned that while the kids in the main building complained about being too hot in the warmer months or chilly in the winter, the students in the strawbale classroom stayed comfortable year-round, even sporting t-shirts in January. The benefits of natural building extend not only to the environment, but also to the people occupying these beautiful spaces.
Having passed on some knowledge of natural building materials and techniques and shown the students some real-life applications of their uses, instructors Jacob and Ben challenged the students to create their own scale models of some natural wall systems. The fun started Thursday when the group traveled to some local spots within a few minutes of the campus to gather some materials for the project. The first stop took the collective to a beautiful vein of clay that had been exposed by the meticulous work of a small brook. The natural properties of the material were quickly noted when one student unintentionally showed the rest of the class how to take a mud bath! After filling up some buckets with the slippery, yet sticky material, the class headed off to another quarry to gather some sand.
Upon returning to the Yestermorrow campus (and after a few students changed into less muddy clothes!), the class divided into two groups and began the process of designing models of two different natural wall systems: a straw-bale wall and a wood-chip clay wall. The latter system involves an insulative infill of wood-chips mixed with a clay slip and can be formed within a variety of wall structures, from traditional stud frames to lath and plaster systems to a wicker-like style known as waddle and daub. The straw bale system is often used as a highly insulative wall system for timber frame structures and can also be utilized with more conventional post and beam or stud frames.
The process of designing the systems proved challenging, yet rewarding, as the students gathered more materials from the campus grounds and started to see how the individual pieces fit together as a whole. By offering advice, yet taking a step back from their role as instructors, Jacob and Ben guided the process but left the details up to each group. Rather than presenting a classroom lecture, this approach resulted in a more thorough, hands-on and comprehensive understanding of the respective systems, and embodies the style of learning found in so many of the classes offered at Yestermorrow. Each group presented their model on Friday, which fostered a further understanding of how the systems work and the purpose and function of each material. Additionally, these models will serve as visual aids for future Yestermorrow students to observe and improve upon.
As Friday came to a close, the students and instructors embraced in group hugs and a great feeling of accomplishment. The week was a great start to a wonderful summer in the mountains of Vermont. As I walked back to my Volkswagen home-on-wheels after an evening of food, drink, and celebration, I reminisced on how perfectly the week came together. The campus of Yestermorrow and the students and teachers it attracts provide an infectious energy that is wonderfully contagious. While I thought about the week ahead and beginning work on the project at Knoll Farm, the moon peaked out from behind the Green Mountains, casting a soft light over the campus and reminded me to instead enjoy the moment at hand.
