Kia Ora and Welcome to the wonderful world of Natural Building!
The Earth Building Association of New Zealand (EBANZ) exists to promote the use of earth and other natural building materials. EBANZ acts as a source of information on natural building methods and techniques especially for New Zealand conditions and as a network group for those interested in natural building here and overseas.
Every time we build, we have an impact on local ecosystems 🌱
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how designing and building with regenerative and natural building materials can help reduce the amount of construction waste being sent to landfill.
Discover how renewable, reusable, and easily recyclable resources can provide safe, sustainable alternatives to commonly used—and often wasteful—products.
Martin House in Wanganui has won the 2025 Western Architecture Award! The owner Rachel Rose is a writer, EBANZ member, and change maker. The house is beautifully designed and built to passive house standard with bio-based strawbales, straw clay and natural plasters. A special thanks to Rachel for her presence at our Earth Building conferences and the write up of numerous articles that educate others about natural building. Congratulations to Energy Architecture and Black Pine Architects, and to the Strawbale builders led by Pat Mawson (previous EBANZ Chair). To see the NZIA award mention visit HERE
Martin Ulenberg was a valued member of the EBANZ committee from 2016 to 2025. Martin was an architect, colleague, collaborator, and friend.
Martin’s sudden death has shocked all of us who knew him.
He was a great friend and talented collaborator of many of us, and especially those of us in the earth and natural building world, a world he had embraced with great enthusiasm.
He was a Committee member and treasurer of the Earth Building Association of NZ (EBANZ), and prepared a lot of delightful promotional information about these ecologically conscious building methods.
He designed many buildings himself using mud brick, straw bales, and natural timber (see his beautiful drawings below), and was also of tremendous assistance to the SNZ Committee for Earth Building Standards 4297, 4298 and 4299 with by his work on all the figures.
Colleagues have expressed their grief for this remarkable friend:
‘Devastating news-a tragic loss of a beautiful mind and lovely soul.’
‘I am sure we all wish to honour Martin and the amazing work he has done.’
‘Very sad. He made huge contributions to our earth building mission. Very sad, and my feelings are with Martin’s family.’
‘What a lovely, gentle, intelligent and generous man Martin was. I feel privileged to have known him.’
‘Such a loss to earth building community. Only knew Martin for a couple of years but he was such an awesome person with a genuine interest in others and so kindhearted.’
‘Martin made such a big contribution to the New Zealand Earth Building Standards with all the excellent Figures he provided.’ ‘That (Standards) work will remain a lasting testament to Martin’s legacy for years to come.’
‘What heartbreaking news. My loving thoughts are with Martin’s family and friends at this difficult time. I feel gratitude for all he has given us, and the time we did get to spend together. It was way too short’.
‘To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.
Mary Oliver’
MEMORIALINFORMATION
Martin’s family have asked that people may like to make donations to EBANZ as a memorial.
EBANZ bank account details for donations in memory of Martin are:
Particulars: Donor’s name (or Anonymous), Code: Donation, Reference: Martin
Martin’s funeral will be 11am, Tuesday 18th of February 2025 at St Mary’s Catholic Church, 20 Kitenui Ave, Mt Albert, Auckland
Martin was 44 years old.
Rest in Peace, dear Martin
Graeme North MNZM FNZIA
DRAWINGS
The following 3D drawings of the various natural building methods were provided my Martin for EBANZ to use on their upcoming website revamp and were also present on his own website to explain to potential clients the various construction methods. The drawings beautifully illustrate the various layers in a different earth building techniques.
Martin was a strong believer in utilizing both hand crafts and technology. Quote from his website about Analog Architecture “As a detox we can slowly dial back our screen usage, and focus more on analog modes of creation. We can draw, paint, write, and play music to keep us off TV. This may be one of the best, most life affirming paths, and we will be much happier as a result…. To sum up this philosophy, it’s quality, not quantity we seek. Fewer, smaller things, made better, and we believe, this is the path forward.”
Martin Ulenberg had a number of beautiful house drawings on his website that really show his talent and heart for the art of Architecture. Here are two examples that have been built:
As well as having experience in almost all of the natural building methods, he would draw buildings from his imagination. This is a quote of his from his website, to inspire young designers
“Pretend houses I have designed for myself, and other various structures that have not been realised yet. I think to improve as a young designer, it helps to run through the exercise of designing yourself fantasy homes repeatedly. I have done this countless times over. I believe your aesthetic eye is like a muscle you can train with practice, and eventually this exercise may help you find your style.“
