In House Prinsloo, on a farm near Elands Bay, the stone walled remains of an old ruin were reused to form the plinth for the super-insulating straw bale walls. Mud bricks, salvaged from the ruins were reused for some of the walls or broken down and used in the plastering. All windows and doors were either second hand or made of selected pinewood. This avoids the use of tropical hardwoods which contributes to the destruction of the world’s rain forests. A dry, composting toilet helps save water and recycles sewage into useful garden compost.