Green Book Review: "The Natural House"

Interested in natural building materials? We've got the book for you.

The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy Efficient, Environmental Homes has been quoted as being "the most comprehensive and most useful introduction to natural building systems and practices available...a book that anyone setting out to build a home of natural materials should read--cover to cover."--Alex Wilson, executive editor and publisher, Environmental Building News. Dan Chiras, the author of The Natural House, has spent the past 30 years studying sustainable design and has a lot of knowledge to offer. In The Natural House, Chiras discusses the construction process, cost, and pros and cons associated with 14 different natural building methods including: adobe, strawbale, cob, and rammed earth.

Chiras, who lives in an off-the-grid strawbale and rammed earth home, has published 23 books on environmental issues and design and has taught classes at the University of Colorado and Colorado College. His home is so efficient that he hasn't had to pay an electric bill since June of 1996.

If you're in the area, please feel free to check out The Natural House from the GreenTown library!