Baker-Laporte Paula - The econest home: designing & building a light straw clay house

Praise for The EcoNest Home

I have found this publication extremely inspiring, easy to comprehend and well-illustrated. The authors describe their sophisticated LSC wall system in great detail and place it convincingly in a wider context based on their philosophy. Impressive is the systematically future-focused advancement of timber construction in conjunction with natural climate control and principles of Baubiologie/Building Biology combined with ambitious aims of aesthetic design. This masterpiece is recommended to novices and experts respectively.

Franz Volhard, architect, and author, Leichtlehmbau

We are moving away from eating synthetic foods and applying synthetic cosmetics because we believe that what we put into our bodies matters to how we feel and function. We can taste the difference between an irradiated, genetically modified tomato and one naturally grown. So why do we live in synthetic buildings and breathe synthetic air? We have discovered the magic of living and working in EcoNests. The gatherings we host in these inspiring and refreshing spaces produce completely different outcomes than those we convene in synthetic environments. In this remarkable book, Paula and Robert offer a radical paradigm shift worth seriously considering for better health and a more sustainable world!

Cindy Mercer, co-founder, Planet Heritage Foundation www.planetheritage.org

Imagine a house more comfortable, and comforting, than any youve ever been in before, so well built it could last for centuries, and a house that, at the end of its life, could be absorbed back into the earth as simply and safely as an apple core. Now imagine two people who have been designing and building such houses for 25 years sharing all of their hard-won lessons. Thats what this book is.

Kevin Ireton, former long-time editor, Fine Homebuilding

Paula and Roberts updated book allows us the privilege of benefiting from their evolution as authors, teachers, architects, craftspeople and pioneers in the natural building movement. Through their work they manage to balance the artful and rare combinations of progression and tradition, professionalism and grass roots. The Econest Home is made from well designed, sophisticated techniques rooted in simplicity. This book demonstrates the outstanding results that arise to their steadfast commitment to creating healthy, natural homes.

Adam Weismann and Kay Brice, Directors/Founders of Clayworks and Cob in Cornwall, authors, Using Natural Finishes and Building with Cob

Paula Baker-Laporte and Robert Laporte have created a beautiful and exceptionally detailed and useful guide to the design and construction of light straw clay houses. With a thorough coverage of the background philosophy and principles behind their approach and practice, they provide a wealth of technical and practical information about the process as well as many gorgeous examples of the results. Their longstanding commitment to designing for both human and ecological health, durability, energy and resource efficiency and effectiveness is evident throughout this book. This is an invaluable addition to the literature and practice of building natural, high quality, low impact homes.

David Eisenberg, Director Development Center for Appropriate Technology

Through their exceptional work Paula and Robert have laid out sound principles by which to design and build. In The EcoNest Home every aspect of creating a beautiful, sensible, and healthy home is explored and demonstrated with elegance and clarity. Filled with practical information of how an EcoNest is constructed, The EcoNest Home is at once informative, beautiful and inspiring.

Martin Hammer, architect; co-author, Light Straw-Clay and Strawbale Construction appendices in the International Residential Code; co-director Builders Without Borders

The EcoNest Home brings into print the most recent developments in this accessible building technique, including building products not available until recently. The authors, also experienced architects, builders and workshop teachers, share what is needed through design, building to the finishes. The workshop checklist is especially valuable as a guide for creating effective workshops. A great new book for the ecological designer, builder and homeowner.

Sukita Reay Crimmel, co-author, Earthen Floors: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Practice; and developer, Claylin www.claylin.com

Stepping into a home built to EcoNest specifications and proportions, one passes from nature into natural, from life into living. An EcoNest home exists beyond green and sustainable, it is a living machine, a steward of the earth, and the earth repays EcoNests occupants by supporting their good health and invigorating their sense of wellbeing. I have experienced this myself, and time and again I have seen the awe it inspired in students of my organizations Natural Healthy Building Seminar, which was co-written and is co-instructed annually by Paula Baker-Laporte. My fondest hope is that Paula and Roberts book will inspire countless more on a quest for an EcoNest home.

Michael Conn, Executive Director, International Institute for Building-Biology & Ecology

Copyright 2015 by Paula Baker-Laporte and Robert Laporte.
All rights reserved.

Cover design by Diane McIntosh.
Main photo and bottom left Jonathan Shaw; Top left EcoNest Co; MIddle chisel and curl Solar Law; hand plastering Jackson Poretta.

Printed in Canada. First printing June 2015.

New Society Publishers acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for our publishing activities.

This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be associated with the application of any of the contents of this book.

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-86571-777-0 eISBN: 978-1-55092-568-5

Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of The EcoNest Home should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com

Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:

New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada (250) 247-9737

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Baker-Laporte, Paula, 1953-, author
The econest home: designing & building a light straw clay house / Paula Baker-Laporte and Robert LaPorte.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-0-86571-777-0 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-55092-568-5 (ebook)

1. Ecological housesDesign and construction. 2. Straw bale housesDesign and construction. 3. Earth housesDesign and construction. 4. Sustainable buildingsDesign and construction.

I. Laporte, Robert (Robert M.), 1955-, author II. Title.

TH4860 B34 2015 690.8047 C2015-904170-8

C2015-904171-6

New Society Publishers mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision. We are committed to doing this not just through education, but through action. The interior pages of our bound books are printed on Forest Stewardship Council-registered acid-free paper that is