Building with natural materials is an integral part of our weekly routine in Finca Sol y Valle. There are many benefits to building with natural materials, too many for this blog post, but we'll share a few. First, building with the rocks, clay, bamboo and wood from our farm is a regenerative process that is great for the environment. Second, working our construction materials from harvest to installation supports a healthy lifestyle. Finally, there is a great satisfaction to live, use, and maintain spaces that we design and built.
We reduce our carbon footprint by building our new infrastructure with local materials. The clay is under our feet and supports every step we take. The volcanic rocks poke out of the ground and gravity is waiting for us to roll them down to our construction area. The bamboo towers into the canopy of our forest and a minor thinning produces enough material to build a cabin while leaving houses for wildlife. And we can do it all with hand tools instead of relying
on industrial processes and global transportation systems.
Natural materials take more labor to process than conventional materials like concrete and metal. We enjoy the challenge as it saves a lot of money, reduces our computer time, and supports both a healthy lifestyle and the local economy. We prefer to do the work ourselves and pay locals to help us instead of spending our limited monetary resources on dirty materials which contaminate nature and outsource jobs. Jeff personally loves the workout of loading a bamboo on his shoulder and walking it to the construction site - a full body workout for which no gym membership needed! While most of us agree that we should limit our screentime, spending time outdoors needs no limit. Working our natural materials right at the source is a great excuse to feel the sun and wind while listening to the birds and leaves.
It is such a rewarding feeling to learn where the materials from our houses come from, process it into durable resources, and design-build beautiful structures. In this way, we can ensure there are no chemicals in our living space that may be dangerous to our families. We can create organic structures with increased functionality and aesthetics, only limited by our creativity and experience level. While it may be
impossible to find a house with all the niche spaces, circles and spirals that we desire, we can certainly design it! Can you imagine reading your favorite book in a sunny little nook with rounded edges and an organic look?! If you've never mixed clay with your feet and built a wall with your dirty hands, you might not know all the joy this process can bring. But if you come to Finca Sol y Valle and show a hint of interest, you will get the experience and feel the thrill. It might just inspire you to change your life, as it did with me!
-Jeff, founder and eco-villager at Finca Sol y Valle
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