The idea was simple:

 

The idea was simple: 

A natural home that used little energy to be comfortable year-round.

 

The idea was simple: 

A home that was quiet, safe, durable, and beautiful.

 

The idea was simple: 

A home that was built to resist wildfires and earthquakes.

 

The idea was simple:

 A home that was always the right temperature and humidity.

 

The idea was simple:

 A home that was built with non-toxic materials.

 

The idea was simple:

A home that was better for the inhabitants and the environment.

 

The idea was simple: 

A home that can last 100 years.

  

Simple Construct

         After 20 years and 20+ buildings, we are taking a break from building

                                                                                      Naturally Healthy Homes

Simple Construct specializes in natural finishes, clay plaster, lime plaster, and tadelakt for new and existing homes in San Diego County, California.

We are taking a hiatus from designing and building high-performance natural homes, putting the bale hammers aside for a while. We are currently only accepting craft plaster or natural finishes projects.

Many people have told us that this website was an educational resource for them during their home-building journey so we are leaving it here for that use.

If you are interested in our craft plasters and natural finishes, please visit our new site Natural Plaster San Diego

So long and thanks for all the bales  – Rebecca & Mike

Posts & News

Making existing homes more comfortable in a heatwave

Building for heatwaves and blackouts (without adding to their root causes)

Reducing embodied carbon, storing carbon, and reversing climate change with biogenic materials like straw

Blog

Reducing embodied carbon, storing carbon, and reversing climate change with biogenic materials like straw

Here is a short video we made for San Diego’s Sustainable Building Week 2021 about how biogenic materials – such as straw – not only reduce the carbon emissions associated with construction, they can even trap and store carbon in buildings, helping to reverse climate change. Running April 12 -16,… Read more

Thoughts on begrudgingly coming to love lime plaster

When I consider what plaster to use, I always think of clay plaster first. I love clay plaster, it has so much going for it. In terms of minimizing environmental impact and carbon footprint, you cannot beat clay plaster. It is minimally processed, needs no additives, and can be sourced… Read more

Can construction really be “regenerative”?

At its most basic, construction requires taking a lot of stuff from somewhere and using it to build. It is an inherently destructive and consumptive process: no stuff = no building. Because of this, it is has been hard to imagine truly regenerative construction: building in a way that not only… Read more