We are an international network of ecological builders who form partnerships with communities and organizations around the world to create affordable housing from local materials and to work together for a sustainable future. We believe the solution to homelessness is not merely housing, but a local population trained to provide housing for themselves.



Since its founding in December of 1999, Builders Without Borders [BWB] has formed a dynamic team of ecological builders and other volunteers dedicated to manifesting the idea that the solution to homelessness is not merely housing, but a local population trained to provide housing for themselves. We have determined our role to be largely educational -- our goal is to support those working in the field, through providing resources, advice, networking, and training so that hard-won successes can be widely shared and disseminated.



We advocate the use of straw, earth, and other easily obtainable materials for the construction of homes, to help decrease reliance on expensive, and often unavailable, alternatives. We are developing simple, easy-to-understand educational resources that can be used as a reference in training communities in appropriate technologies for siting and building their own shelter. One of our main objectives is to develop and distribute educational resources that promote natural building methods as well as facilitation techniques that are culturally-sensitive, fun and effective. BWB also focuses on training programs, workshops and cooperative community building projects to instruct people in ecological design and building.