Energy Exhibition in Crestone Scheduled for 2024
At the 2024 Crestone Energy Fair in Colorado, pioneers of sustainable living showcased innovative ideas for the future, with a focus on natural home building materials. One of the highlights was the "Demo Shed," a structure constructed using straw bale, cob, hempcrete, and aircrete, whose purpose was to educate visitors about natural home building.
Natural home building expert Suzanne Rogue, a self-professed hemp enthusiast, oversaw the hempcrete construction workshop. She explained that hempcrete, a mixture of hemp and lime, is remarkably easy to work with, requiring only rudimentary tools and minimal physical exertion.
Rogue and her team used a concrete mixer for the demonstration, but hempcrete can be made with just a tarp and a shovel. After setting for a few days, hempcrete becomes solid enough to support a full-grown man. With its numerous health and environmental benefits, such as earthquake resistance, non-toxicity, and regulation of moisture and humidity, hempcrete is rapidly gaining popularity as a superior building material.
Crestone, with its lenient building codes and spiritual emphasis on the natural environment, has become a hotbed for radical innovations in sustainable living. The town's residents have embraced alternative housing designs such as geodesic domes, Earthships, and the Crestone Hobbitat, a pumice-crete home with no straight lines or edges.
The ideology of Crestone's community attracts sustainability-minded individuals from across the country. One such visitor was Lloyd Kahn, the author of 16 books on natural building design, who lauded Crestone as a global leader in the use of natural building materials.
Many experts stressed the importance of hands-on experience in natural home building to truly understand the benefits of organic and eco-friendly materials. Eric Ficinus, a natural building expert, emphasized that the unique personality of each natural home is essential to the holistic living experience it provides.
The event highlighted the systemic issues associated with modern building materials, such as the toxic chemicals used in paints, caulks, and drywall. Tim White, a natural building veteran, explained that these chemicals can create a cycle of mold growth and associated health risks. He advocated for simple building materials like wood, clay, lime, adobe, and hemp to provide more sustainable and healthier alternatives.
Alex Hippenhammer, a Colorado-based environmental writer, attended the fair and shared his insights on the importance of natural building materials for health, the environment, and the buildings they displace. His account provides a fascinating glimpse into a community at the forefront of sustainable living, showcasing innovative solutions for the future.
- At the Crestone Energy Fair, Suzanne Rogue led a hempcrete construction workshop, highlighting the ease of working with hempcrete, which is becoming increasingly popular due to its health and environmental benefits.
- Visitors to Crestone were educated about natural home building, including the "Demo Shed" made from straw bale, cob, hempcrete, and aircrete, showcasing the potential of these sustainable materials.
- Lloyd Kahn, the author of 16 books on natural building design, praised Crestone as a global leader in the use of natural building materials, attracting sustainability enthusiasts from across the country.
- Hands-on experience with natural home building is essential, as experts explain, to fully understand the benefits of organic and eco-friendly materials, leading to a unique personality for each natural home and a holistic living experience.
- The importance of natural building materials was emphasized by Alex Hippenhammer, a Colorado-based environmental writer, who shared insights on the connection between health, the environment, and the buildings these materials can replace, pointing to Crestone as a benchmark for sustainable living and innovative solutions for the future.
