User:Vbwiz2000

Scott Howard is a natural builder presently located in Portland Oregon. He has been active participating in natural building and permaculture for over a decade and has been involved with numerous natural building construction projects in several countries including the USA, Mali, Thailand, Puerto Rico and other countries.

Scott operates out of Portland Oregon, his business is Earthen Hand and he is noteworthy as one of a growing number of grassroots alternative building advocates and practitioners in the United States. He is involved with teaching, consulting, managing and providing internet based training aimed at grass roots natural building projects, having already completed several earth bag, cob and other sustainable, energy efficient construction projects. He is also actively involved with advocating and teaching permaculture practices in conjunction with natural building techniques.

Scott Howard has been the principal designer, builder and/or construction manager on several noteworthy natural building projects:

Village Library, Earthbag. Tirelli, Dogon Country, Mali. 2010. Demonstration Dome Earthbag. Rincon, Puerto Rico. 2010. Earthbag Cottage, Portland Oregon, 2009 Thailand Sound Temple Dome Earthbag. Koh Phangan, Thailand. 2004. New Day School Meditation House Cob with living roof. Portland, OR. 2003 Ahimsa Sanctuary Garden Kiva Meeting House Cob with living roofs. Philomath, OR. 2001.

Several of these projects are noteworthy for several reasons. One, the projects are designed as grass roots projects to teach people how to build viable, sustainable, natural livable structures using building techniques and materials readily available for a given locale. Two, the projects seek to empower alternative building methodologies that advocate for energy efficient, sustainable, natural building techniques. Three, the projects are noteworthy to the degree that the alternative and natural building techniques provide for artistic and cultural expression, as the use of natural building materials, such as clay, adobe brick, straw-bale, earthen bags, and natural pigments, provide a unique building and construction medium for artistic and individual expression. Four, several of these natural building projects have been focused on providing individuals and communities facing issues of poverty, scarcity of technology and other resources, with alternative and natural building techniques as grass roots solutions for the construction of affordable, sustainable, and livable housing. Five, these alternative building structures also address the needs of individuals who wish to find alternatives to traditional building techniques in order to construct livable structures that address medical issues, such as asthma, chemical sensitivity, through the use of natural building materials and the elimination or minimization of the use of traditional chemically treated or artificial man-made construction materials. Six, the projects are also noteworthy in that government agencies at the local, State and Federal level are activity involved in supporting and funding alternative, sustainable, and other so called ‘green’ eco friendly building techniques.

As part of his grass roots training activities, Scott provides training in numerous natural building techniques. Such workshops include earthbag building techniques, earthen plaster, earthen house design, straw – clay building techniques, earthen paints, earthen floor construction, and permaculture. These workshops have been conducted in conjunction with community colleges, elementary and grade school education, various community and non-profit organizations, and private construction projects.