Conceptual narratives, ecological heeds, social purposes and subjective ends of natural building movement

摘要

Architecture built in materials colloquially named ‘natural’ represents one of the most autonomous and most iconic branches of building practices with high ecological considerations (i.e. ‘green building’). However, specific character of this architecture, its broad, consistent and coherent approach has seldom been assessed. This research pinpoints broadest conceptual, social and political positions of Natural Building movement - an informal movement. Conditions are determined in which these positions have been formed, together with reasons for which these practices have been ignored in scopes of dominant architectural discourses. Special attention is given to cultural and geographical origins (North America’s northwestern coast and its high arid continental Southwest), to integration of ethical, esthetical and lived experience, and finally to transformations of specialization, authorship and division of labour. Closing parts of the paper also offer examination and illustration of general range of explored phenomena. For this aim two specific architectural approaches are analyzed: Oregon Cob and Earthship, as well as findings and illustrations from construction of small experimental building constructed by the author in Bosnia and Herzegovina.