For many people, finding the right information has been the biggest barrier to taking on more natural building techniques, and amalgamating it into their future house design. Earth buildings now look exactly like ‘normal houses’ and generally have a far greater attention to aesthetic and to the function of the home over time.

But finding the information, tapping into the community of knowledge, and finding labour have been right up there as the three biggest hurdles for many owner and contracted builders. For years there has only been a few resources, the Earth Building Association of Australia has been operating since the early 1980s and provides research and publications, alongside an annual conference. There are also more modern institutions such as the Green Building Institute and the Green Building Council, that can help you find tradies or builders who may be able to work with you and help you fulfil your dream. There are no dedicated TAFE courses or natural building schools in Australia, and this would be ideal in order to continue the tradition and make sure there is mentoring for the next generation.

If you feel that you have to go it alone, and you’ve looked for buildings in your area and talked to their builders, it’s time to get serious about resources. Natural Building Australia will be compiling a super list of resources including a list of popular books, and where you can buy them. There will also be a list of current industry reports, including new research being undertaken on rammed earth building in Western Australia.

If you’ve been a member of EBAA, then you probably know about the Owner Builder magazine that ran for over 40 years but sadly closed in 2021. You can still access the many years of back issues by contacting Lynda, the most recent editor, and you can purchase the entire catalogue with hundreds of examples of natural building successes (and failures) across Australia and New Zealand. Before attempting to re-invent the wheel, learn from those who began much like you, with little knowledge, experience or understanding of natural materials or basic carpentry, but figured it out with many stories and mishaps in-between.

Natural Building Australia is one attempt to keep the stories, and connections alive to continue the proud tradition that has been helping people realise they can build their own home with their own hands, with only the resources around them and with their community. Check out our resources page to get started.