Clay day: Green Building Products offers natural construction materials for use by architects and designers.

JAI Pal Khalsa had been an architect for more than 20 years before his passion led him to start his own business so he could build with such natural materials as clay and limestone.

His Los Angeles-based company, called Green Building Products, began in 2003 and specializes in designing interiors of homes and commercial buildings with alternative materials such as insulated concrete forms and 100 percent natural clay.

"It is a very small, niche group that works in this field," said Nancy Murray, marketing director for Green Building Products. "But it is taking off. People are going nuts about this because it's gorgeous, earthy and beautiful."

The new emphasis on natural materials can have aesthetic benefits, not just environmental advantages.

"You walk into a room built with all natural materials and it is like standing in front of the ocean," Khalsa said. "It's just comforting and nice and that is important."

Some homeowners and designers are shunning synthetic or cement-based stuccos and choosing clay and limestone for their interiors, a shift in preference that Khalsa said can be partly attributed to the range of colors and finishes that green products offer at competitive prices.

The company carries three types of all-natural materials and offers over 20 colors of lime and clay. Natural mineral pigments are used to color the material.

One of Khalsa's specialties is "earthquake plaster." Even in the event that the walls are damaged because of a temblor, all that is needed to patch them are water, trowels and some of the base material.

"People want to see longevity and these products last anywhere between 20 and 50 years without a problem," he said.

Khalsa now has contracts with several independent distributors and he employs a full-time trainer to educate them about his products.

Major progress

Khalsa took some personal risks to pursue his passion. He sold his house to raise cash for his venture and moved his family into a small rental. And he moved his architectural business into low-rent warehouse space.

He started with one telephone, which he worked relentlessly to call other architects, designers and developers for promotion of his products. He made sales calls and attended trade shows.

The effort paid off after 18 months, when the company landed a contract to build an all-natural 20,000-square-foot yoga studio in Hollywood. Since then, Khalsa's revenues have increased between 300 and 400 percent.

Some homeowners want the all-natural look, said Alan Silverstein, an architect who uses clay on his homes. He said natural products fulfill the same function as synthetic ones, but without chemical additives such as formaldehydes.

But some architects feel that the so-called trend could be more hype than substance. Some "green buildings" are certified as such because they use "natural" building products, including plain wood and gypsum--longtime industry standards.

"If it is 100 percent natural, does that mean that no processing is done on it and it is just dug out and used on walls?" asked Dale Yonkin, an architect for Nadel Architects Inc. in Los Angeles. "The question one should ask is exactly what is so different about this?"

Yonkin also is skeptical about how well natural clay can withstand moisture, cleaning and weather. He pointed out that traditional cement-based synthetic stuccos are used in construction because they are the most cost-effective.

"It's like eating organic carrots," Yonkin said. "They cost more. They are the same carrots but if you are picky about how they are grown, then you pay more. That's all."

Khalsa said he is interested in eventually expanding his business to include solar- and wind-generated power products but said he would stick to green building materials for now.

Silverstein called the shift toward all-natural building products "a big movement" that will become a major industry force in five to 10 years.

"But for now, I am happy, my guys are happy and most importantly, my clients are happy," he said.

Green Building Products

Year Founded: 2003

Employees 2004: 1

Employees 2005: 12

Goal: Distributing "green" products and teaching the architectural and design community to build effectively using environmentally friendly products without sacrificing design or cost considerations

Driving Force: Increasing desire by consumers for natural products