In 1952 a Brazilian engineer Raul Ramirez at the ClNVA centre in Bogota, Columbia invented the famous little CINVA-RAM press to use abundant local materials to re-build the Colombian forest and bring economic prosperity and stability to the local people. His research and work led him to the re-discovery of Compressed Earthen Blocks. As a modern addition to a building material that had been used for millinea, Raul Ramirez was able to identify the value of increased pressure in the materials production and the value of a small percentage of cement in order to stabilize the product as a viable, modern building material. The name Compressed Stabilized Earth Block was letter coined by the Earth Institute in Auroville after more than 40 years of production and use of CSEB. As a unique addition to the industry that has grown around this building product, the Earth Institute in cooperation with Aurum have developed the most durable and dependable CSEB production machines in the World. Freedom Builders operates 2 Aurum 3000 presses as a part of our mobile production and building units.

CSEB is an appropriate mixture of clay, sand and less than 5% portland cement. Clay and sand are excavated from the build site and then processed to the appropriate composition in order to make the base dry mixture for the CSEB. Water and Freedom Builders Natural anti-molding treatment are added to the mixture prior to shaping the CSEB under 16,000 pounds of pressure. Our CSEB are then dried for three days and then left to cure for no less than 30 days prior to use.

For over 40 years the art of producing, designing and building with CSEB has been tested and applied by the French trained master buidlers and architects at the Earth Institute Auroville. Wolrd renouned, award winning and globally recognized as the foremost experts on CSEB and earthen building by the United Nations and the Agha Khan architectural society, the staff of the Earth Institute, led by French Architect Satprem Maïni have trained and certified the Master Builders at Freedom Builders to produce CSEB, design multi-level structures and produce arches. vaults and domes from CSEB. Every block made and placed by Freedom Builders embodies these many years of knowledge and know-how.

Freedom Builders’ staff has been specifically trained to design and build structurally sound buildings using CSEB. In carrying on the traditions of the Earth Institute Aurovile, there is a specific level of detail and care that goes into every residential or commercial building built with CSEB. Freedom Builders is not the originator of this knowledge, but instead carrioes on a tradition mastered in Auroville India by trained Architects that have dedicated their life to this appropriate building tehnology.

The benefit of working by hand instead of relying on large machinery to access timber is the ability to pay attention to the minute details of the process. Our professionally trained staff has travelled the world to understand the best wa to utilize everything that comes from the lumber production process to produce additioonal sustainable and responsibly manufactured products. The use of a wood burning kiln to dry wood, while increasing the amount of labor needed, requires  the gathering and clearing of the limbs to provide ample fuel. An additional bi-product of cutting trees is foliage and other fruits like pine cones and acorns. In most cases these items are collected for use in organic fertilizers, essential oil production and natural paints and clothing dyes.

Freedom Builders operates Freedom Labs in cooperation with the Georgia Institute of Technologies laser and Nano-Technology labs to produce a form of ionic silver for the treatment of bacteria and mold. Nano sized, industrial collodial silver contains only silver and highly purified water. There are no other chemicals used in the treatment of the lumber. This allows Freedom Builders to produce a 100% natural product with no foreign agents that can later cause harm to humans through structural or crafted applications of the lumber.

Freedom Builders trades American hardwoods under a Standard set of Grading Rules that have been accepted throughout the hardwood industry. These Rules were established over 100 years ago by the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) and provide consistency and a common language that both buyer and seller can work with to produce successful transactions over and over again.