Materials and techniques
Mud was used in the first structures ever built. About two-thirds of the people living on the planet live in some kind of mud house. Mud is abundant. Mud is free. Mud is nontoxic. Mud is beautiful. Mud is easy and it feels good. Anyone can do mud. Mud makes sense!

Cob
Cob is pottery on a grand scale, a freeform art of Natural Building that's more like sculpture than carpentry. After kneading a mixture of clay, sand and straw by doing the "barefoot boogie," you literally hand-sculpt your home from the foundation up, much like you would a bowl or vase, only the walls are much thicker. Curves and detail work, beautiful objects and recycled materials are all easily incorporated, enhancing the uniqueness of your creation. Because cob is simple, affordable, nontoxic and long-lasting (not to mention fun), this ancient art is currently enjoying an enthusiastic revival.

Slipstraw
(a.k.a. light strawclay in-fill)
Quicker to build and higher in insulative value, slipstraw is a wonderful partner to cob and an excellent addition to the Natural Building repertoire. After coating loose straw with clay slip (like tossing a salad with dressing), you simply pack the slip-coated straw between forms. As soon as you pack them, the forms can be removed, leaving you with a beautiful, durable, soundproof, nontoxic, fire, rot & rodent-proof wall that quite resembles Japanese handmade paper. Slipstraw is also a great alternative to strawbale construction as it is easier to plaster and handles water vapor well in wet and cold climates.

Earth Plaster & Paint (Aliz)
There is a wide array of earth plasters and paints. This final touch to your earthen home is essentially the same as the walls themselves only the aggregates and fibers are much smaller. Several coats of plaster are used, getting finer and finer as you go until you have a customized finish of texture, color and shine that is all your own. Along with this you can have extra fun with additives varying from sour cream to prickly pear juice, mineral oxides to mica flakes. Plastering can be such a delight that some people are known to say it's the reason they built in the first place...it's the icing on the cake!

Bamboo
Bamboo! This incredible renewable resource with all its varied applications is only just beginning to be recognized and appreciated in the west. And thank goodness! You will be overwhelmed discovering the multitudes of uses and building potential you have with this fast growing grass. From floor to ceiling; decorative to functional; organic to elegant, there are simple techniques to work our way out of deforestation and into our newest passion... Bamboo! Kleiwerks is thrilled to have recently teamed up with bamboo-ists Carol Stangler, Michel Spaan and Francisco Plaza. We are excited about all the potential collaborations to come.

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