Natural Builders + Our Communities = Natural Communities
The Natural Builders donated some of their time during the Living Word Festivals “Environmental Caucus & Concert in deFremery Park (aka Little Bobby Hutton Park).
Bamboo Construction w/ The Natural Builders :: Photos by Betty Bastidas
The Natural Builders are licensed contractors offering design, build and consultation services.
The Natural Builders collaborate with artists, building professionals, and individuals in a range of fields, from the creation of ecological spaces, to the development of new materials, to the understanding and improvement of vernacular building techniques.
The term “natural building” refers to a range of construction methods that use locally sourced or minimally processed materials: straw, earth, bamboo, and sustainably harvested wood.
This, in return, results in architecture reminiscent of older, artisan-ally inspired housing that looks similar to modern day European stucco. I’m not an architecture aficionado by any means, but as many people are in this day and age of design/decor luxury, I do have a knack for aesthetics.
And our aesthetics, or at least the ones we take ownership of, represent a vast array of styles, forms of expression, etc. Aesthetics are also the evolution of consideration; and unfortunately, it is our own communities that have been deprived of this consideration. Simply put, we often perceive that to be a “home owners,” you need to be one of those “real estate” tycoons who build large sky scapers, give us temporary jobs, and kick us out of the neighborhoods we helped to build. That leaves us with one conclusion. Yes, the neighborhood looks new, but NEW FOR WHO?
Littered sidewalks and debilitated housings do not represent us; they represent the neglect implemented upon us; and so, it is time to take heed of our design genius and rebuild our communities accordingly.
Still, we establish our acts of inspiration and hope into our aesthetics. The aesthetics of our communities contribute to our own impressions, treatment, and respect for them.
One way to reclaim the hidden beauty of our communities is through architectural and environmental reinvention. Yes, this is a humongous project. But we’re doing it right now! Hence, Life is Living.
And one way to go about this is by utilizing organizations such as Natural Builders and redirecting them to our neighborhoods in Oakland, New York, D.C. and beyond.
Check out their portofolio! All that bamboo makes me want to runaway to Cabo!
