Laying Down the Law

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Building codes play a big role in sustainable building—but so do people. Providing adequate information can be the single most important factor in getting an individual permit and in procuring change on a more global level.

Once upon a time, people made dwellings out of rocks, dirt, grass, ice, or trees—whatever they pleased. They learned what worked through instinct and error; sometimes buildings rotted away, burned down, or caved in; sometimes they killed or maimed their inhabitants. Thus were born building codes. In 1758 b.c., the Babylonian king Hammurabi enacted the first building code, which mandated death for any builder who constructed a dwelling that fell and killed its owner.

Despite what you may think, today’s building codes are somewhat more kindly—and they aim to protect inhabitants from harm before it’s too late. Yet if you want to build your home of rocks, dirt, straw, bamboo, or unmilled trees, you’ll probably face regulatory discouragement. Building practices and codes have favored industrial building materials—concrete, steel, and milled lumber—and public health crises have given rise to mandated central plumbing, flush toilets, and central sewage treatment.

Although building codes were created to protect our health and safety, in a larger sense they encourage practices that are detrimental to our collective well-being. If you want to build your walls of straw and earth, collect rainwater for drinking, or water your garden with graywater, you can’t assume that getting a building permit will be a slam-dunk. As an architect who frequently escorts designs for earth and straw homes through the permitting process, I’ve seen acceptance increase tremendously over the past few decades. However, if you want to use “nonstandard” approaches, expect to put in extra time and effort.

Because every building department is unique, each nonstandard approach may be viewed differently, and even timing can affect how your submittal will be received (the first person to propose something unfamiliar usually works harder for acceptance). The best strategy is to fortify yourself with knowledge about the alternatives you want to use, the building codes, and the process of obtaining a building permit.