For centuries, humans used earth, wood, bamboo and stone as building materials. These materials were within easy reach, therefore, no sophisticated means of transportation or the use of electricity-dependent tools were required for their placement on site.
An example of self-sufficient and highly sustainable bio-constructive systems is the "Earth Ship".
Image#2: Earth Ship. Location: Ushuaia, Argentina
We live in a country where we have been taught that concrete, metal and polymer-based materials such as PVC are the most viable construction solutions from the point of durability, resistance to climatic variables, earthquakes and others. These stereotypes, together with the great publicity generated by the large companies that produce these materials for their commercialization and sale, mean that other constructive alternatives of lower cost, less environmental impact and healthier for the human being, have fallen into disuse and cost a lot. integrate them back into our construction processes.
The manufacture of cement, to cite an example, involves a large consumption of energy and fossil fuel. On the other hand, the burning of clinker releases large amounts of greenhouse gases and pollutants into the water. PVC, during its manufacture, also releases dioxins and other polluting gases. Furthermore, concrete, together with reinforcing steel, and if used in excess, can block the energy exchange between our body and the environment, an exchange that is necessary for balance and mental and physical health.
This type of housing, conceived, designed and built entirely by the American architect Michael Reynolds, is a clear example that, with great creativity, you can build a home without spending millions of colones trying. Some interesting concepts that the Nave Tierra integrates are the reuse of wastewater, integration of organic gardens within the house, use of waste materials such as soda cans, tires and glass bottles, as well as an adequate orientation to avoid the utilization of energy-intensive heating and cooling systems.
Bio-construction in our country is in its infancy, however, the need to integrate it into our constructive solutions is increasingly affirmed. In a society where building a house seems like a utopia, unless we go into debt for 40 years, bio-construction brings hope for a more environmentally and economically responsible constructive future.
Image#3: Clay house on a wooden structure built in North Carolina, USA. Built entirely by 11 female volunteers.
In this sense, bio-construction is a re-reading of construction techniques from the past. They are ancestral techniques improved from the engineering and architectural information that is available in our times.
Bio-construction could currently be defined as those buildings whose erection implies a low environmental impact, low energy consumption and a high social impact. It also integrates related disciplines such as geobiology, Feng Shui, from the point of view of personal balance, organic or biodynamic agriculture from the point of view of productivity, hydraulics from the point of view of rainwater collection and other disciplines. In addition, the re-use of waste materials and the use of passive heating, lighting and ventilation systems can be integrated.
Image#1: Bahareque house near Zapote, Costa Rica.