In 2016 I had the pleasure of editing a short video documentary, Building as a Birthright, about a sustainable Olympia-based building company, ION EcoBuilding. Led by Joseph Becker, ION EcoBuilding educates people about environmentally friendly building materials and processes, helping people appreciate the intimate connection between ecosystems and community through hands-on participation. 

Much like the natural foods movement, the ecological building movement seeks healthier alternatives for managing our resources. The materials that ION Ecobuilding uses are more tangible, less toxic, and easier to use than what is standard in the building industry. Furthermore, their earth-based methods (like cob, adobe, and natural plaster and paint recipes) are time-tested and built to last hundreds of years. A healthy home, Joseph explains, uses materials and methods that are the least harmful to both the homeowner and the environment.

Whereas the normal general contractor relationship inadvertently creates a distance between client and company through a bid-based business model, Joseph prefers to advocate for his clients from the beginning of every project. His goal is to support his clients by helping them make the most informed decisions possible. The collaborative nature of the company inspires a sense of stewardship in its participants.

In our consumer-oriented culture, we have grown accustomed to exchanging currency for convenience. Consequently, on the road to progress, we end up spoiling our collective psyches along with our landscapes. Joseph’s disruptive and all-around refreshing re-appraisal of modern economic and moral values reminds us that we are losing touch with an ecosystem that sustains all life as we know it. What might the world look like if we celebrated the creative spirit of sustainable building in harmony with community engagement and ecological responsibilities?

Read my ThurstonTalk article to learn more about ION EcoBuilding: https://www.thurstontalk.com/2015/04/20/ion-ecobuilding-olympia/. Meanwhile, watch Joseph Becker and his passionate team of staff, volunteers, and clients, in Building as a Birthright, as they create a community fire shelter from the ground up, one round pole at a time.