Thirty years ago, an intrepid group of architects, builders and natural-building enthusiasts met out on the Carrizo Plain in central California to talk about how to develop a community and create momentum for natural building in California (there might have been a little bit of drinking, dancing and celebrating life involved, too). That small, but mighty group quickly evolved in the California Straw Building Association (CASBA) and has since expanded to hundreds of members spanning the entire West Coast. But the open-source, collaborative culture established during that meeting on the Carrizo has remained intact.
Over the past 30 years, members of this group have been responsible for establishing natural building model code in the US, conducting necessary fire and seismic testing, publishing technical books on straw bale building, teaching thousands of people to build with straw, and helping incubate and scale natural building startups.
Just by being themselves, they seemed to tap into the recipe for longevity: good people + good community + good fun (and doing good). Now, as some of the founding members approach their retirement years, they’re passing the torch to the next generation.
They recently celebrated their 30th anniversary with a trip back to the place where it all started…the Carrizo Plain.
Full story coming soon!
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