Natural Building Services – in Alentejo Portugal
Project Coordination * Installations *Free Advice
Are you planning to build an ecological house –
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See our latest design Garden /Accomodation Geo-Dome |
Our Natural House Build Services:
Land Survey * Project Assessment * Preliminary Design * Build Coordination Sourcing Skills * Renewable Energy * Legal admin
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ADOBE – A clay house made with adobe bricks or infilling a timber structural frame is an ideal building technique where local material is often suitable and the style of building work lends itself to efficient use of labour at a very reasonable cost. The results are aesthetically pleasing and creates an ideal healthy environment.
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STRAW BALE – Self-supporting or more commonly timber framed with straw infill. Straw building in Portugal is a practical attractive choice provided the material is kept dry by raised foundations, overhanging roofs and water proof breathable rendering.
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RAMMED EARTH – traditional large walls built by compacting layers of almost dry earth shuttered between 2 x .5m boards make stone-hard durable structures, often directly supporting the roof. This method is labour intensive made lighter as a community or family group project and the building materials, clay and sand is often sourced close to hand from your land.
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ADOBE GEO-DOME – An ideal extra accommodation, garden utility, office or retreat space and classified as “temporary construction”. Durable, easy to construct adobe timber frame using 6 pentagons on 9 low-height walls, plus one serving as the door. Finished in adobe or lime plaster. Variable dimensions. Please ask for a quote!
Free Advice by email or phone. Project Coordination + Installation Services
Land survey – Viewing a property, its natural elements, resources and viability for your intentions is to provide an objective assessment from several dimensions. You receive a full report detailing how to adapt to it´s natural characteristics to create a sustainable built environment.
How does your house relate to the natural seasons and elements? What kind of natural building is appropriate for a given site? What resources does the land offer and what are the limiting factors?
Observations and recommendations are made based on Permaculture and Feng Shui principles. All aspects relating to soil qualities, planting potential, water sources, earth contours and drainage, natural resources, renewable energy considerations, impact of prevailing elements such as wind, rain, hot and cold variabilities, and neighbours.
Email for a Sample Sustainable Land Survey Report
Project Assessment – What´s practical and possible? Let´s compare your ideas with examples of natural building in the region. What skills and resources are available, your own or from other professional or voluntary sources? How do these modify your design?
Do you need an architect, builder, specialists or legal advice?
Design outline – A preliminary drawing is produced to present your ideas and preferences, plus an outline specification. This can simplify discussions and reduce your costs with architects, builders and planning departments. It can include everything from rock foundations, earth floors, natural insulation, rocket fires and turf roofs. <pic>
Sourcing Skills and Products – If you need an architect or builder familiar with natural house construction, specialists, traditional or modern, from bore hole installation or bio-pools to tree planting or a particular style or type of ecological product, I may be able to put you in touch or find just the thing you need.
Renewable energy – Will your electricity be “off-grid” or would a “micro-generation” grid-connected system with profit income solution be of interest? Systems for water and space heating, recycling, reed beds and dry compost toilets are all available and can be installed.
Project coordination – Having someone familiar with building techniques and regulations, to put you in touch with specialists, who can manage people and material resources to your budget will demystify the process, save you time and money and produce a good all round results.
Legal admin – To obtain permissions and pass final inspections can present difficulties that can often be overcome with access to legal advice and information that can usually be obtained freely.
Call me to discuss your ideas and project plans,
Jonathan Eveleigh Tlm: 00351 – 967 337 994
3 Responses to “Natural Building Services – in Alentejo Portugal”
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hi johnathan
i am living in central portugal and am wanting to extend my house. i would like to do this build in straw bale. the camera muncipal that i am working with have had no experience with eco builds and are not in a hurry to find out any info, which leaves it down to me to present them with the info required. basically i need to prove through example of house already built in straw bale that they complie to the legal specifications of the thermic and sound proofing european laws with the correct codes that specify this.
i was wondering if you have any info that could help me with this or be able to point me in the direction to go.
any help will be greatly appreciated.
ciao fi.
Hello. I am thinking of buying a small piece of land which does not have permission for a building. What are the pros and cons of owning such land and what costs would be incurred. I realise this may be off topic but would really appreciate any advice no matter how small you could provide.
Many, many thanks Viv.
Good to hear of your project and plans to live on your land.
I can only give you some idea from our experience.
My partner and I lived in a yurt for four years on two plots of land.
We went on to build low-impact removable structures and never a problem for us, or for our friends who have done similar. Fortunately it´s not the UK. Whilst the law is changing and catching up with the northern EEC
low-impact living is usually accepted.
There is an allowance for building even an agricultural use minimum per hectare. I can give you some details
For our yurt to really last we put a net over the canvas, a plastic cover on for the winter, and a sun shade in the Summer – before we simply watched canvas and rope disintegrate. Bare canvas will only last a year without damage.
The Adobe Geo-dome home shown on our home page is a good example
of simple easily constructed semi-permanent structure that can handle the
climate year round.
Hope this helps. All the best!