This paper and presentation explores alternative construction methods and materials in the context of Sustainable or “Green Design” and historic preservation. It includes an historic overview of indigenous earth based materials that have been employed in the construction of dwellings, churches and public buildings throughout the world. Earth construction, and other natural composite building materials will be explored for the integration and utilization in historic and contemporary buildings with an emphasis on construction systems that comply with existing building codes. The content of this presentation and paper have been used as a semester long graduate seminar at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning. It builds and expands upon the work and contributions of PG McHenry who taught earth architecture courses at UNM for many years. The overall goals and objectives of this paper and seminar are to:
1. Provide an understanding on natural building materials and their importance to regional identity and the built environment
2. Learn how to interpret indigenous construction systems and to interrelate the cultural and ecological aspects in the context of the geographic region
3. Explore structural properties and building code regulations of alternative building materials
4. Offer general principles and specific methods of alternative construction which can be utilized in contemporary settings
5. Gain an understanding of sustainable or green design principles
By providing a focus and historic overview of earth based construction systems, linkages can be made to other natural material resources of a particular region. Inevitably all organically based construction methods and materials are interrelated and can be organized in a matrix that creates locally based, cost effective building construction solutions that are now being quantified and codified into viable alternatives to conventional construction materials of high embodied energy.