Laying the Groundwork
The foundational aspects in natural building are creating a sturdy foundation your home can rest on, making mud that is durable for brick making, and making bricks to build your home.
The section covers the groundwork of the process—click the buttons to jump to a section or continue scrolling down.
Making the Foundation
How to build a natural home foundation
The foundation creates the support your earth home will need for structure and stability. Learn the best practices that go into making one.
Selecting the best site for your building
Peggy explains the best practices for choosing the site to build on to avoid settling, termites, and moisture for your foundation.
Process of making the foundation
The foundation of the home here is marked by strings and the perimeter of each room has been dug out for the purpose of pouring concrete into it. 
The concrete foundation provides a strong base for the home where bricks can be laid atop. 
A buttress, like the one shown here, provides strength to support the structure against walls and the foundation in itself.
Making the Mud
How to create mud for brick making
Making durable mud is foundational to creating strong bricks for your home. Learn the different methods to test the durability of your soil and the technique to making mud.
Picking out soil to make strong mud
Peggy and Ginger explains the best practices for picking out soil to create mud and how fiber can make stronger mud for brick making.
Process of making the mud
A mud pit created in a clay-rich area through tilling the soil and adding water. 
To prevent the mud pit from drying, a tarp is placed on top to prevent the moisture from escaping. 
The best way to fix mud is with feet! Here multiple participants are mixing the mud until the right consistency. 
Participants here are gathering fiber, rice husk shown here, to make the mud stronger and less prone to cracking. 
In smaller portions, the participant is mixing rice husk into the mud in a basket to ensure its evenly mixed and ready for use. 
The full mud pit with participants hard at work mixing the mud!
Making the Bricks
How to make bricks from the mud
Brick making is
Creating sturdy bricks for your earthen home
Ginger walks through how to make bricks with your existing mud and the best practices to creating strong bricks that supports your home.
Process of making the bricks
A group of participants mixing the mud, ensuring its ready for making bricks. 
When pouring the mud into the brick frames, poking holes in it helps to remove any air bubbles. 
A completed set of bricks made from mud. 
After the bricks have been made, they are set out to harden and dry in the sun. 
After they are dried, they are stacked upon each other and ready to use!