Building with nature
As the Earth's resources become scarce, it is becoming important to engage with nature, and to re-assess the ways that we use both energy and materials resources.
Do we have to build from materials that have been shipped half way round the world, using large amounts of energy in the process? Or could we take the trouble to find locally grown and produced materials that could do the job as well, if not better?
It may also make sense to use natural materials that do not rely on high energy processing, eg. sheeps wool insulation. It could be wise to avoid standard timber treatments which use poisons like arsenic in order to preserve timber. It may be safer and more economical to use materials that do not need decorating at all rather than to use solvent based paints.
Forever Green is dedicated to designing buildings that use natural materials and processes to work with nature rather than to fight it ... we specify durable timber rather than use CCA timber treatment ... we suggest that natural paints, stains and waxes may be safer to apply and more beautiful to live with ... and above all we believe that buildings should be designed to be joyful to use and to live in.
