In the Making: Earth-Bound Building
“Today, we’ve been hard-wired to want things quick, fast, and cheap. To slow down, to take your time, and to realize that something that is cheap is actually an economic concept, but not an ecological one—that changes your relationship to building in general.”
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, Blain Snipstal—founder, designer, and lead builder of Earth-Bound Building—joined us in conversation with Preservation Carpentry Instructor Michael Burrey, live from Michael’s home workshop in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Blain has traveled around the world learning from builders and farmers of all kinds, bringing that wealth of knowledge into his sustainable building practices today. Blain and Michael talked in-depth on the negative impacts modern construction have on our planet and how low-impact building can benefit us all, intersections with historic preservation, and the difficulties the face in building green. Plus, Michael gave a tour of his lime pit and kiln!
Earth-Bound Building is a worker-owned construction company founded in 2014, specializing in timber framing, custom carpentry, and natural building. They sprung from Black Dirt Farm Collective, with the expressed intention of working with small-scale farmers, rural landowners, and community groups to provide functional, durable, and ecological farm and land infrastructure.
Today, Earth-Bound Building incorporates the principles of ecological building, craft, and cooperative economics to their fundamental mission and practice. They believe that at the heart of the just-transition and a sustainable food system lies infrastructure, affordable housing solutions, and buildings that are climate resilient, low-impact, and beautiful.
“In the Making” is a public programs series where we connect with a range of new voices, fields, and perspectives. Learn more and view a full list of events on the series homepage.
In the Making: Notre Dame Truss Project
