Jake Steele

There's lots of natural building styles, and it seems many can be done in many places. Some are more suited for a region than others, and I feel this angle can sometimes be glossed over or compensated for with industrial inputs like stabilizers and additives. I am interested in what methods are not only ideal for a region, but can be perpetuated in a low-energy, post-industrial future. So while everything from earthbags and hyperadobe, to strawbales, to earthships is interesting to me, I want to learn something that can be taught and passed down, and will still be being replicated 100 years from now. Or at least, a modern method with transference to a similar historical vernacular building technique.

With that in mind, here is the research I have done on natural building for my region. Hoping others can weigh in on it and add any corrections or their own thoughts.

First, looking at global climate zones. It seems the Southeast US is actually fairly unique as far as how extensive our Humid Subtropical zone is. This is due to the AMOC circulation, which is weakening, so we may actually become more temperate in a warming world, or it will even balance out. But I digress.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate#/media/File:Koppen_World_Map_Cwa_Cfa.png

https://amocscenarios.org/

Second, looking at what the indigenous were doing in our region. It seems we have an even split along the Piedmont, with Creek and Cherokee cultures doing wattle and daub with thatched roofs, and Powhatan culture doing rounded wood longhouses.

https://images.app.goo.gl/GRsXWMdyz63aA932A

Concerningly, this may track with the Coastal Plain to Piedmont transition, and may be telling about what soil type is available per method? Like, maybe the greater sand to clay ratio of the Atlantic Plain is what makes daubing possible? But it only seems like a partial and probably coincidental overlap, and I know that outside the Coastal Plain they were still doing wattle and daub, such as in the Appalachian mountains.

https://images.app.goo.gl/zCumeBNJPkQ1e3ka7

So lastly, taking all this into account, we can look at other cultures around the world for inspiration within the Cfa climate zone. Assuming that wattle and daub with thatched roofing is a technique reflective of the nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles of the Creek and Cherokee peoples, and that a sedentary, fully settled populace would need to develop more permanent styles of natural building, I think the Hmong people of North Vietnam, and Hakka people of Southeast China, are both good candidates for what could be done in our region. The Hmong and Hakka both make extensive use of Rammed Earth for their natural buildings. Both build with similar materials, with examples that have lasted multiple hundreds of years, keeping cool in summer and warm in winter while surviving extreme weather events. They both use rammed earth walls, natural stone foundations (usually limestone?), structural timber, and clay tiles for roofing.

A tulou is usually a large, enclosed and fortified earth building, most commonly rectangular or circular in configuration, with very thick load-bearing rammed earth walls between three and five stories high and housing up to 800 people. Smaller interior buildings are often enclosed by these huge peripheral walls which can contain halls, storehouses, wells and living areas, the whole structure resembling a small fortified city.[3]

The fortified outer structures are formed by compacting earth, mixed with stone, bamboo, wood and other readily available materials to form walls up to 6 feet (1.8 m) thick. Branches, strips of wood and bamboo chips are often laid in the wall as additional reinforcement. The result is a well-lit, well-ventilated, windproof and earthquake-proof building that is warm in winter and cool in summer.[3] Tulous usually have only one main gate, guarded by 4–5-inch-thick (100–130 mm) wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate. The top level of these earth buildings has gun holes for defensive purposes.

I think the Hmong "Trinh tuong" houses make the most sense for an individual or single family to emulate, but the Hakka's Fujian Tulous are very interesting for any groups and may be the more common arrangement for future generations, given societal stresses from declining global energy returns and climate change causing a re-emphasis on communal and mutualistic living.

Hmong:

1. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/rammed-earth-houses-a-cultural-heritage-of-hmong-people-in-ha-giang-post312255.vnp

2. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/nung-ethnic-hamlet-attracts-tourists-with-traditional-rammed-earth-houses-post280290.vnp

3. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/rammed-earth-houses-unique-architectural-identity-of-ha-nhi-people-post188713.vnp

4. https://www.vietnam.vn/en/kien-truc-nha-trinh-tuong-mai-am-duong-cua-nguoi-dao-tien-o-cao-bang

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_people#/media/File:HouseBuildingInNorthernVietnam.jpg

Hakka:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_tulou#Architecture

2. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1113/

3. https://www.chinahighlights.com/xiamen/attraction/tulou.htm


Here are some more in depth overviews of the Fujian Tulou traditional building techniques:

1. (PDF link in text) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351978920307952

2. https://www.sensesatlas.com/fujian-tulou-the-hakka-walled-villages/

3. https://archeyes.com/fujian-tulou-the-resilient-and-communal-hakka-walled-villages/

4. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/7/1915

Some ideas for alternatives:

1a. It seems the limestone foundation is to protect against flooding and water resting against the rammed earth walls, which is about the only thing that would degrade them, and could render them unstable quite quickly. With proper site design and drainage, perhaps this risk could be mitigated and the rammed earth portion could extend down to the ground? A migrating people group can intentionally move next to a river or potential quarry site with lots of suitable stones, private landowners have less options.

1b. If not, or in addition to this, could one use wood ash in the firing process for low-fired clay bricks to make them waterproof, and use that as the foundation instead? I am pretty sure he essentially makes roman concrete or fly bricks here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP0t2MmOMEA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG6nzrksbPQ

Or even: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9irICRnszOc

2. I wonder if bamboo could be used structurally in place of some of the internal timbers? Either group probably would have tried that if it was viable, but perhaps (without looking into range maps) they didn't have access to the right species for construction. Even if the beams and columns would still need to be wood, I wonder if the rafters and purlins for the roof could be made of bamboo. From reading some old permies threads on it, it seems bamboo can be made (with a long soak in water) to be as or more rot resistant and strong when compared to oak. Pine seems to be the wood of choice for the Tulou at least, so this could maybe be an upgrade?

https://permies.com/t/56799/build-bamboo

3. Likewise, the Hmong "Trinh tuong" house pictures have examples of both thatched and clay tiled roofs that have essentially become living roofs, with moss growing on them. I'm imagining this adds to the insulation and increases resistance to weathering, though could be wrong. Could this be intentionally cultivated, whether with moss or another species that gives an edible yield?

4. The above 4) Hmong section contains some of the apparent issues with their style of housing (though may just be lack of maintenance, hard to tell). I think the Tulou design, being open to the inside and with high windows for cross-ventilation, may address these. If one was building a single house, it's possible you could replicate this with a 'mini-Tulou' that is made courtyard house style, with a thick perimeter wall, 2-4 internal buildings/rooms, and a large open-air middle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard_house

5. Lastly, rammed earth is obviously quite labor intensive. For a village coming together, this is no big deal, but not so for an individual or small family (especially if wage labor takes up the majority of ones time). In terms of modern methods, what style would be best to replicate similar outcomes and some transferable skill learning as rammed earth? I am guessing hyperadobe here, and perhaps reclaimed sheet metal for the roof. Skillwise, one would still have to learn to make the forms and the tamping process for rammed earth, making and firing the clay tiles, and working with roundwood for the framing. But the outcome would at least be similar and give one an idea to go off of while slowly picking up the 'real thing' on the side, to be able to teach and pass to others.

Hopefully this is helpful to someone! Any thoughts are appreciated.

Yep Anne, seems like we are on the same page then

It seems like a lot of work for sure Jane compared to just cooking them (though this is an advantage against pests who also won’t bother eating through all that water and fiber for the starch), but I don’t think it would be all that bad once you grate them up. After that it’s just time for settling in the water. And then you have a super calorie store that never degrades or goes bad! Idk, the idea is just super neat to me.

Thanks Anne. What’s special about these is that they are hybrids of Queensland arrowroot, canna edulis, and a few other species. They have lots of vigor and adaptability to various climates. I’m trying to get more of them now while they are still in the F1 and F2 generations.

Jane, if you do get your hands on some be sure to try out processing them for flour. That’s why they are so exciting to me, the idea of a tuber crop that can survive drought, wildfire, whatever and just keep growing away year after year… and then the starch will store for literally ever, and is twice as energy dense as grain! Sorry, nerding out a bit haha. I really think they could be a staple crop of the future.

https://zeroinputagriculture.wordpress.com/2019/10/21/tools-and-techniques-canna-flour/

https://zeroinputagriculture.wordpress.com/2020/07/24/plant-profile-canna/#:~:text=Canna%20has%20a%20mere%2010,for%20transportation%20and%20storage%20space.

This is the old blog, he’s on substack now, but really useful overview of the process.

I really like this guy’s hybrid canna crop, and the idea of a novel climate-resilient staple for extracting pure starch, but it’s really hard to find anyone with the seeds outside of Australia.

I did find someone who was growing it here in the US and got some mailed to me, but was curious if there was anyone else growing it? I would appreciate a greater amount of seed diversity.

We all have different ways of expressing these things perhaps, both as cultures and as individuals. It is definitely interesting and a more than a little daunting how much things have changed and the weight of what’s keeping it that way.

I agree, mindfulness is useful for all kinds of things. I mean more that there is a sort of ‘suffering savior’ undercurrent in western society that is easy to fall into for those *who are into* mindfulness. This is more or less echoed by Buddhism too, after all. My point is that one can end up denying the self, and things like healthy boundaries etc, in pursuit of ideals of transcendence and/or a higher self.

Maieshe Ljin, I often find that those in the mindfulness and metta circles tend to ‘fall on their sword’ a lot and try to be very self-sacrificing for their ideals (speaking from experience, here). Having good boundaries and assertiveness is also important to cultivate, and doesn’t go against anything taught in any eastern traditions (in fact I’d say it’s quite ‘middle path’). Just my thoughts. It’s easier to be loving and kind when you also can assert yourself and set boundaries on behavior.

And yes, like an above commenter mentioned about Samoan culture, extended families and kin groups making up communities was much more important in pre-industrial society. In fact, the story of state society is essentially breaking down these extended family units to increase dependence on the central authority, culminating in the nuclear family and now even that has given way to solely individuals. The story of state society and in particular recent dominant economic models also entails a fair bit of trauma and toxic/abusive cycles as well.

Reversing this dynamic, hunter-gatherers and early agrarians have/had ‘mythic kinship’, where clans are tied together by fictive descent from a mythological ancestor, in essence extending the biological feelings towards your kin to unrelated ‘strangers’. They would also do this with non-human relations, establishing mythical kinship with local animal and plant species with their own entailed rules and obligations for reciprocal interaction. So again, the expansion of state society can be seen as the breaking down and simplification of a once wide web of relationships.

(Mods, posted this in southern US forum but seems like eastern US forum is where all the NC/VA posts are. If I’m not allowed to make duplicate posts like this, pease feel free to remove the southern one).

Hey all! I’ve been posting on this site for a few years now and really enjoy it. Super unique and informative place, with nice helpful users.

My wife and I are natives to the South, met in the military and now have two little ones in tow, and looking to settle down and start our own permaculture homestead somewhere in the Piedmont Region.

We are in an interracial marriage, my wife is black and I am white, which unfortunately has presented some challenges in different parts of the rural US. We’ve had mostly pleasant experiences everywhere we’ve lived, from the PNW to a few states across the Southeast, but also some decidedly unpleasant ones. Enough to make me cautious about where to put down roots and raise my children.

We are in the Triad of NC right now and really enjoy it here, the cities and people are friendly and thriving, and there is plenty to do and see. But there is also a lot of development and urban sprawl unfortunately. I’m primarily hoping two things:

1) any permies on here in the Piedmont that can recommend an area that would be good for permaculture people, and homesteading in general? I’d of course prefer a region with likeminded counterculturists like on here, but would just be happy for a spot I knew was not going to be developed anytime soon.

2) if anyone knows, if they could recommend a rural area that has good diversity or they know has good race relations?

3) And finally, any specific recommendations for NC in those regards? And if anyone knows about it, maybe Caswell County or adjacent?

We were looking at Southside VA originally, specifically in Halifax County VA. We had good experiences, seems like a really diverse and well mixed area, but I realized it’s more realistic to look for a place close to where we live and work now instead of making elaborate plans to move out to BFE and swap who has a career etc, when we could just get started now instead.

I’ve been looking at Caswell County NC because of this. I currently live in Guilford and work in Forsyth, so it’s about as far as I could realistically commute. It seems both diverse and rural/remote on paper, but I know nothing about the reality on the ground.

I’ve also considered south to Alamance, but it looks like that’s getting into development and urbanization?

Would love to hear from any Piedmont permies, and hopefully anyone has some knowledge about my questions as well! Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this and respond.

Hey all! I’ve been posting on this site for a few years now and really enjoy it. Super unique and informative place, with nice helpful users.

My wife and I are natives to the South, met in the military and now have two little ones in tow, and looking to settle down and start our own permaculture homestead somewhere in the Piedmont Region.

We are in an interracial marriage, my wife is black and I am white, which unfortunately has presented some challenges in different parts of the rural US. We’ve had mostly pleasant experiences everywhere we’ve lived, from the PNW to a few states across the Southeast, but also some decidedly unpleasant ones. Enough to make me cautious about where to put down roots and raise my children.

We are in the Triad of NC right now and really enjoy it here, the cities and people are friendly and thriving, and there is plenty to do and see. But there is also a lot of development and urban sprawl unfortunately. I’m primarily hoping two things:

1) any permies on here in the Piedmont that can recommend an area that would be good for permaculture people, and homesteading in general? I’d of course prefer a region with likeminded counterculturists like on here, but would just be happy for a spot I knew was not going to be developed anytime soon.

2) if anyone knows, if they could recommend a rural area that has good diversity or they know has good race relations?

3) And finally, any specific recommendations for NC in those regards? And if anyone knows about it, maybe Caswell County or adjacent?

We were looking at Southside VA originally, specifically in Halifax County VA. We had good experiences, seems like a really diverse and well mixed area, but I realized it’s more realistic to look for a place close to where we live and work now instead of making elaborate plans to move out to BFE and swap who has a career etc, when we could just get started now instead.

I’ve been looking at Caswell County NC because of this. I currently live in Guilford and work in Forsyth, so it’s about as far as I could realistically commute. It seems both diverse and rural/remote on paper, but I know nothing about the reality on the ground.

I’ve also considered south to Alamance, but it looks like that’s getting into development and urbanization?

Would love to hear from any Piedmont permies, and hopefully anyone has some knowledge about my questions as well! Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this and respond.

Larry, we love Lunenburg and the whole Southside area for sure. My hope is mainly that there is something kind of like Southside VA in terms of ruralness and diversity, but closer to where we are in NC. Caswell seems okay on paper, but it's hard to tell reality from a Wikipedia article haha. If we can't find anything, we will default back to our 'move in a few years' plan and wind up somewhere in Southside.