Sustainability Applications- Natural Building

Agrarian Approaches to Building Construction

Chris Fox with Fox Natural Construction was one of the first employees of the NAC in 2001. Chris brought a combination of rich farming experience from Southern Ohio with a real knack for building and carpentry and helped to establish the infrastructure for the George Jones Farm agrarian enterprise and education center.

Chris utilized his time at the Jones Farm to refine his skills in timber frame construction, strawbale construction, and the utilization of salvaged or found objects for building construction.

Following his work at the NAC, Chris launched his own natural construction company and now builds custom homes utilizing natural building methods across the mid-West.

The photograph above shows Chris installing an earth-floor for a strawbale farm office and learning center for the farm, pictured to the right.  Natural construction techniques such as these hold great potential for the agrarian economy where farms can become a source for earth plasters, straw, wood, and other materials abundant in Northeast Ohio.