'Living in a natural house speaks for itself'

Originally from Michigan, USA, Jackson has madeBangalore his home and is making a living as an eco-builder, who mostly usesonly sustainable and natural materials. A self-taught natural builder, Jacksonsays that he took this up as a career with the sole intention of making adifference. “The idea was and is to change people’s perceptions ofwhat is beautiful. Natural materials are far better compared toconcrete.Jackson uses earth, straw and bamboo, apart from other natural materials such as stones, and reckons that there is no better material than earth to live in. “Earth is beautiful and is the most abundant natural resource available and is suitable for any climate. Further, all these materials are returned to nature without a trace,” he says. The builder says that he almost always listens to the land speak to him before he chooses materials for his projects.But the American reckons that althoughpeople have embraced the idea, it is still a niche area. Jackson says that costand the traditional concept of wanting “pucca” houses aredeterrents. “Building with natural materials is more labour-intensive andit is a challenge to compete against industrial materials, which aresubsidised,” he says and adds, “People should give up trying tobuild pucca houses. Anyway, they remove a wall here or raise another oneelsewhere every few years,” he says.Jackson is currently doingan eco-building project in Chikmagalur and counts some of the city’s ITguys among his clients. “The response has been only positive. They look atsome of my work and just give me total freedom to do what I want with theirprojects,” he says.Aside from creating natural, eco-friendly buildings, Jackson - who is married to an Indian - also teaches building with natural materials at an art school in the city. “I wouldn’t be able to make a living doing this in the US. This country, the people and the city offer me a wide playing field. India is embracing industrialisation and the need for ecological solutions rapidly,” he says and is convinced that “the move to natural buildings is inevitable”.