Building With Awareness

Building with Awareness is the most detailed and comprehensive video available on the design and construction of a sustainable straw bale home. This DVD is packed with green design and construction techniques from professionals working on the cutting edge of sustainable home building.

Building With Awareness follows the design and construction of one house from start to finish. Learn how to construct post-and-beam straw bale walls, how interior adobe thermal mass walls can improve efficiency, and how earth-plastering techniques can create stunning wall finishes. The video provides a solid understanding of green home design - the positioning of windows, why certain materials were chosen and how to incorporate passive solar heating and cooling. It also demonstrates how beautiful aesthetics and energy efficiency can come from the same materials. Although the video emphasizes the idea of building small, the concepts can be scaled to any size structure. Topics covered include:

• rubble-trench foundations
• step-by-step straw bale building techniques
• adobe wall construction
• roof framing and insulation
• rainwater cisterns
• plumbing
• photovoltaic electrical generation and wiring
• acid-stained concrete floors with radiant heating
• earth plaster techniques - and much more.

Beautifully photographed and edited, this award-winning video is an invaluable resource for novice builders and seasoned professionals alike.