Over the past month, Nick and I have been working to complete the slate roof on the new timber frame. Slate is nothing more than split stone “hung” with copper nails on a roof deck. The genius of slate lies in its simplicity. It’s literally stone roofing, and incredibly durable and beautiful. Nothing more, nothing less. Slate happens to excel in this roofing context, and humans have devised ways to work with this natural material to create incredible structures for many generations.
Humans have an incredible ability to harness and maximize the natural forms and functions of the earth itself. Working with the slate has been a reminder of what I admire most about our often contradictory species. In the best of times, we are stewards with an incredible ability to cultivate harmony. And at the worst of times? Well, there are far too many examples of what that looks like.
The pursuit of building with natural materials can cause a cascade of ripple effects. Taking the leap to try something new, to look at the world in a different way, to do something challenging, to work as a group on a shared project — these are all fantastic “side effects” of building with clay, straw, wood, and stone. I don’t think natural building alone will “save the world”, but it is certainly a powerful catalyst for change, even if on a small scale.
In challenging and uncertain times, I think that’s worth remembering.