Natural building

Natural building is a discipline within the broader field of green and sustainable architecture that builds with locally available natural materials through processes chosen to keep a building environmental impact low. Its common materials include clay, sand, straw, earth, wood, bamboo, stone and recycled materials, and its practitioners generally avoid Portland cement, toxic preservatives, PVC and materials that off gas volatile organic compounds. The discipline aims to reduce a building ecological footprint without giving up comfort or health, favoring designs that make use of abundant or renewable local resources, natural ventilation suited to the local climate, and compact building forms paired with on site measures such as water capture and renewable energy.