Natural Building Network http://nbnetwork.org Education. Regeneration. Community Wed, 02 May 2012 00:58:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 NBN Classifieds! http://nbnetwork.org/8289 http://nbnetwork.org/8289#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 00:47:09 +0000 Chris McClellan http://nbnetwork.org/?p=8289

The Natural Building Network is proud to announce the grand opening of our new Classifieds website. Buy or sell, find work or workers, or a new mud buddy. Basic ads (with pictures!) are free for Natural Building Network members, $5 per month for everyone else. Please contact us for your members-only coupon code.
Please note that this system is used by members and non-members so you will have to register separately. Feel free to use your existing NBN member name and password.

]]> http://nbnetwork.org/8289/feed 0 Under Construction http://nbnetwork.org/8287 http://nbnetwork.org/8287#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 00:39:34 +0000 Chris McClellan http://nbnetwork.org/?p=8287 Dear Friends,
We are in the process of upgrading our server.  Please forgive the little weirdnesses that pop up, and if something really strange is happening please let us know. office@nbnetwork.org

]]> http://nbnetwork.org/8287/feed 0 2011 Straw Bale Building Research Program Releases Energy Performance Report http://nbnetwork.org/8277 http://nbnetwork.org/8277#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:29:49 +0000 Chris McClellan http://nbnetwork.org/?p=8277 As part of the research for their new book, The Natural Building Companion:A Comprehensive Guide to Integrative Design and Construction, Natural Builders Jacob Deva Racusin and Ace McArleton used state-of-the-art technology, including infrared photography and blower door testing, to document the thermal and moisture performance of seven straw bale homes in the northeastern U.S. As NBN helped fund and publicize the project, Deva and Ace have shared with us the results of the study, which NBN members are welcome to download here: http://www.newframeworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Research-Paper-2011_Final_Complete.pdf

SPOILER ALERT: What they found was that attention to detail makes a huge difference in building performance. Anywhere timber frames or rafters or other structural members break the insulative envelope is a potential problem spot and requires a greater level of detailing to avoid compromising performance. Hidden checking in timber frame members and unsealed joints within the frame can allow significant air infiltration. Consistently across all test cases, the largest sources of air leakage occured in non-straw-bale-wall components of the assembly, particularly in roof penetrations, roof edge detailing, and window-unit-to-rough-opening sealing.
More of this type of research and documentation needs to be done on natural material building systems, especially in an “as built” situation. The thermal performance of a house, especially in harsher climates, has a profound impact on the ongoing ecological footprint of a building, and the comfort and well-being of the people who live there. Our hats are off to Deva and Ace.

Their book can be found at
http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/the_natural_building_companion/

Ace and Deva are co-owners of New Frameworks Natural Building, a Vermont-based contracting and consulting business specializing in the integration of natural materials, holistic design principles, an intentional process to create high-performance structures of beauty. They also teach natural building courses through the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont.

]]> http://nbnetwork.org/8277/feed 0 NBN Classifieds! http://nbnetwork.org/8070 http://nbnetwork.org/8070#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:35:29 +0000 Chris McClellan http://nbnetwork.org/?p=8070 The Natural Building Network is proud to announce the grand opening of our new Classifieds website.  Buy or sell, find work or workers, or a new mud buddy. Basic ads (with pictures!) are free for Natural Building Network members, $5 per month for everyone else.  Please contact us for your members-only coupon code. Please note that this system is used by members and non-members so you will have to register separately. Feel free to use your existing NBN member name and password.

]]> http://nbnetwork.org/8070/feed 0 Natural Building Network Seeking Webmaster / Developer http://nbnetwork.org/7679 http://nbnetwork.org/7679#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:19:39 +0000 Web Team http://nbnetwork.org/?p=7679 Natural Building Network is a not-for-profit membership association promoting natural building principles, materials and practitioners worldwide. We support ecological regeneration, social justice, the building of community and economic opportunity, and the recognition of indigenous wisdom as essential in creating healthy, beautiful, and spiritually-uplifting habitation for everyone.

Web Team Project Manager position available.

We are looking for a webmaster for quarterly or biannual software updates of the NBN website.
Occasional troubleshooting of PHP and CSS.
Site improvements as defined by the Web Team and Web Project Manager.

Mad skills with:
WordPress
BuddyPress
PHP development
Membership site experience with aMember a plus

Please contact us if your interested in this opportunity.

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]]> http://nbnetwork.org/7679/feed 0 Special Invite to Natural Builders for Village Building Convergence http://nbnetwork.org/7668 http://nbnetwork.org/7668#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 00:59:22 +0000 Mark Lakeman http://nbnetwork.org/?p=7668 Dear Friends,

(Please pass this message along to others in the natural building community, because they are invited too!)
This is from Mark, or mOcean. I’m emailing you to invite you to a special evening that will focus on and celebrate natural building as the opening evening of this year’s VBC. As part of the evening’s events, we intend to celebrate and honor people who are working and learning in the natural building movement. This night will feature news and presentations related to the legalization of light straw clay and the use of cob in the building of russian fire places!

The main event will be a gorgeous presentation by Paul Baker-LaPorte and Robert LaPorte on their several decades of work with light straw clay.

So, we are putting out a call to all the natural builders in the NW region with this invitation! Come join us, you will get in for free! Just come to the gate, let us know that you are a natural builder, give your name and affiliation if you have one, and come on in! The event will occur on the opening night of this year’s VBC, Friday, May 27, festivities start at 5:30PM. The venue for VBC11 is at St. David’s of Wales, 2800 SE Harrison in Portland. We hope to see you then!

Mark Lakeman

Principal & Design Lead Mark Lakeman, Co-Founder

1639 SE 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97214

 

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