About

MudMan is intended to be a forum for sharing information about sustainable building techniques and practices. The name MudMan derives from the use of earthen materials used to build many types of useful structures such as: homes, businesses,  workshops, barns, retaining walls,  planting enclosures, furniture, stoves, ovens, showers, sinks, and counter tops, to name just a few of the things which can be built with traditional earthen architecture.

As of the present moment, the United Nations estimates that around 30% of the people alive on planet Earth today live in homes constructed from earthen building materials. Most regions of the world have a long tradition of earthen building construction, and many earthen buildings in use today have stood for several centuries. Contrary to what some people might imagine, earthen buildings are quite durable and livable.

Many types of earthen construction are possible for those who wish to build their projects themselves, as well as those who are seeking to hire others to build their structures.  Many people believe that ancient building practices such as traditional earthen construction have no pace in the modern developed world; however, a little more research into the topic of earthen building proves that natural earthen construction practices are still viable and relevant in present times.

About the Author

I have had an interest in natural building practices for some years now, and my interest in natural and traditional building practices is not limited to earthen construction. I developed an interest in earthen construction practices after visiting the Sacred Valley region of Peru in March of 2014. During my trip to the Sacred Valley region of Peru in 2014, I first stayed in a beautiful hostel in the San Blas neighborhood of Cusco and then later I stayed in a few amazing hostels made from traditional adobe construction methods in the town of Pisac. For those who are unfamiliar with the Sacred Valley region of Peru, Pisac is about one hour north of Cusco by car.

After returning from Peru, I began to read books about cob building and I visited more places where earthen architecture was in use. I have a keen interest in earthen building because it offers people who are inclined to put in the work the possibility of constructing their own homes for a very low cost. I also have an interest in promoting earthen architectural practices because I believe that the construction industry in America, and the rest of the our planet, could have a much lower environmental impact on a wold level if more earthen architectural techniques were practiced. One example of the lower environmental impact of earthen architecture is the fact that an individual earthen/ adobe brick which has never been processed in a kiln requires 30 times less energy to produce that a conventional kiln-fired brick of the same dimensions. As of today, cement production accounts for around 6% of all planetary carbon emissions; perhaps it is time to re-invest in traditional building practices.