Building a Home for Our Family

This building season I am beginning the construction of a timber-frame, straw-bale, off-grid home for my family in Grafton, NY.  Grafton is in the foothills of the Taconics of Eastern New York, though 20 minutes from Troy, 30 from Albany, 3 hours from NYC, you get the idea.

It is an exciting project that is a continuation of my learning and experimenting with naturally built systems and materials, and an opportunity to put them into practice.  Additionally, it has allowed me to return to a past passion of mine, timber framing. 

Ultimately we envision a place bustling with natural building workshops, a goat dairy, CSA farm, and our family’s home, of course.  Our house is only the beginning, as we hope for this place to grow into a place of bustling community activity.

There will not be workshops this year, but as things progress I will have workshops along the way, starting next year.  So, please stay in touch.  My best to you and thanks for your interest.

I am still available for a limited amount of consultation and contracting work this year.

HUDSON VALLEY NATURAL BUILDING

Based in urban Albany, NY, Hudson Valley Natural Building (HVNB) is a community-based artisan company that specializes in straw bale, natural finishes, timber framing, and education. 

Our work has included custom renovation,  natural plaster and paint finished, straw bale construction, earthen floors, educational workshops, and community work.

HVNB uses natural building practices and materials as a sustainable alternative to conventional methods.

At HVNB we use local clay, sand, straw, recycled paper, salvaged wood, and other reclaimed construction waste to make our custom projects beautiful and sustainable.  As a result, our projects are completely non-toxic, safe, and inclusive of anyone who wants to join in the fun.

From earthen straw bale homes to garden walls, all of the work of HVNB is customized to reflect the needs of each client, community and project.