My First Professional Natural Building Design - Going Live in Vermont, 2026!!

Hey y'all,
I'm an architectural designer by trade. I'm transitioning my practice to focus on natural building, and this is the first home I have designed where the clients specifically wanted to go with natural building materials and techniques. We designed it in 2025, and it is set for construction this year! Here are some of the key natural building facts:

It is completely off-grid - They have an office elsewhere on their compound with solar/battery supported utilities.
aqueduct/gravity fed water to a nearby supply basin
Foundation is concrete-rubble footing with glavel infill
First floor -stabilized earth floor with finish TBD
Exterior walls ~1' thick slip'n'chip method with site-harvested wood and loam, plastered both sides
Interior walls are plastered partitions
ceiling is plastered fiber paneling over site-harvested rafters and purlins
ceiling insulation is Timberhp natural wood batt/board
Standing seam roofing.
Fenestration purchased through traditional dealers.
Heating and cooking through wood fired stoves, thermal mass sailing strategies


I am very excited about this one.
If you're considering doing some natural building and need design support don't be afraid to reach out!

Can you please explain how the interior images and floor plans you shared relate to the project you described as being in progress? What stage are you at?

Also curious whether you are bound by code and if so how you navigated that process.