The Instituto de Tecnologia Intuitiva e Bioarquitetura (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: Institute of Intuitive Technology and Bio-Architecture), or TIBÁ, is an eco-centre located in the coastal jungle of Brazil ( Mata Atlântica), dedicated to demonstrating and teaching sustainable development and "barefoot" construction techniques. It was founded in 1987 by Rose and Johan van Lengen, author of the grassroots construction manual, ''The Barefoot Architect''. The book has gained worldwide popularity with its advocacy of, and detailed instruction on, appropriate technology and

natural building A natural building involves a range of building systems and materials that place major emphasis on sustainability. Ways of achieving sustainability through natural building focus on durability and the use of minimally processed, plentiful or renew ...

techniques for builders, architects, and students. The name ''TIBÁ'' comes from a

Tupi language Old Tupi, Ancient Tupi or Classical Tupi (also spelled as Tupí) is an extinct Tupian language which was spoken by the aboriginal Tupi people of Brazil, mostly those who inhabited coastal regions in South and Southeast Brazil. It belongs to the ...

( Brazilian Amazonian tribe) expression meaning "a place where many people meet".

History

Johan van Lengen was born in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

in 1930. He graduated from a course in architecture at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

. He found work for the UN and the

Secretariat of Social Development The Secretariat of Welfare ( Spanish: ''Secretaría de Bienestar'') is the government department in charge of social development efforts in Mexico. The Secretary of Welfare is a member of the Executive Cabinet, and is appointed at the discretion ...

, and worked on re-urbanization in Brazil. In 1987, Johan and his wife Rose bought an old coffee plantation in Bom Jardim with the intent of starting the institute. Immediately the two started several constructions and a reforestation project. The bio-architecture school was established to provide a place in which students can share and learn these techniques hands-on. The school began to attract many students, and a program of workshops was developed. Since 2015 TIBA has been directed by Marc van Lengen, Johan`s oldest son and Aga Probala. Through the wide range of educational courses and programs the institute continues to bring people together in a soul-and mind-nourishing setting, aiming to inspire and create a sustainable future.

Workshops

Various workshops are held year round in sustainable construction (so called ''bio-construction''), agroforestry, sanitation, communication and education.
Specialist workshops held throughout the year include: * Bio-Architecture Techniques, such as earth construction,

bamboo construction Bamboo can be utilized as a building material for scaffolding, bridges, houses and buildings. Bamboo, like wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures. Bamboo's strength-to-weight ratio is simi ...

, ferro-concrete,

composting toilet A composting toilet is a type of dry toilet that treats human waste by a biological process called composting. This process leads to the decomposition of organic matter and turns human waste into compost-like material. Composting is carried ou ...

greywater Greywater (or grey water, sullage, also spelled gray water in the United States) refers to domestic wastewater generated in households or office buildings from streams without fecal contamination, i.e., all streams except for the wastewater from ...

reuse/

biological filter A trickling filter is a type of wastewater treatment system. It consists of a fixed bed of rocks, coke, gravel, slag, polyurethane foam, sphagnum peat moss, ceramic, or plastic media over which sewage or other wastewater flows downward and ca ...

s, and

green roof A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage ...

s * Earth Construction Techniques, including:

adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for ''mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of e ...

, rammed earth,

wattle and daub Wattle and daub is a composite building method used for making walls and buildings, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung a ...

, cob,

superadobe Superadobe is a form of earthbag construction that was developed by Iranian architect Nader Khalili. The technique uses layered long fabric tubes or bags filled with adobe to form a compression structure. The resulting beehive-shaped structures ...

, natural paints/pigments, and natural finishes/plasters * Bamboo Construction (instructed by Jörg Stamm, master carpenter of the Green School in Bali) *

Agroforestry Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. Trees produce a wide range of useful and marketable products from fruits/nuts, medicines, wood products, etc. This intentional ...

, as taught by

Ernst Götsch Ernst Götsch (born 1948) is a Swiss farmer and researcher working mostly in Brazil. He has advocated for an ancient system of climate and biodiversity-friendly sustainable farming techniques known as syntropic agriculture. Biography Götsch was ...

* Plantas Alimentícias Não Convencionais, an academic and popular movement in Brazil propagating unconventional edible plants * Introduction to

Permaculture Permaculture is an approach to land management and settlement design that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using whole-systems thinking. It applies these principle ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:TIBA Sustainability in Brazil Waste organizations Renewable energy organizations Appropriate technology organizations

History

Workshops

See also

References