In this is short film an architect decided to move to Costa Rica to build his dream home in the jungle. It is made with shipping containers, bamboo, and other sustainable materials. It runs on solar and hydro power and has beautiful ocean and jungle views. It is like a dream of living in when … Read more
Aligned with the edge of the Mekong River, Mekong House is a contemporary home that expresses the vernacular architecture of the region with its a tropical climate. The home has an open rectangular floor plan, with a series of balconies on the second floor that help to shade the ground floor. The materials used for … Read more
Over the last month there have been several times when emailed notifications of blog posts that I have made were not sent to subscribers. I have been communicating with the Mailchimp service that is supposed to handle this and I believe that we have finally resolved the problem. I will list the missing blog posts … Read more
You have probably noticed that terms related to “sustainability” are tossed about rather freely these days, and it is often hard to know how appropriate they might be. The concept of “sustainability” originated in German forestry circles around 1713, and is ubiquitous today whenever there is a call to action amid the threat of an … Read more
Hemp mixed with lime can create a low-carbon, more climate friendly building material than concrete. “There’s an enormous growth potential in the US for hemp fiber used for building and insulation,” said Kaja Kühl, founder of youarethecity, a design and building practice. “Hemp was only legalized in 2018, but now industrial hemp is following the … Read more
A home made of earthbags in Johns Town, Jamaica, is setting an example for sustainable living. It’s part of a group of largely self-sufficient residences called The Source Farm Foundation and Ecovillage. The home gets 70% of its energy from solar and wind, and the owner says, “People kept coming in our house to see … Read more