Wonder Domes in Joshua Tree

Lindsey Andersen of Wonder Domes is building an Off Grid Sustainable Earth Bag Artist Community in the desert of Joshua Tree, California. A California native, Lindsey spent 12 years in NYC producing theater & film, acting, writing music, animating and making art. She now lives in a 1975 Winnebago in the high Mojave building free … Read more

Building an Earthbag Workshop in Wales

Avid blog reader Phil Dodd wrote, “Are you aware that in mid-Wales, UK, a sustainable-living practitioner is now coming to the end of his second earthbag build on his land? Kris Harbour has now nearly finished building a large workshop with earthbag walls, and a turfed timber roof. One of the notable features of the … Read more

Natural Architecture in India

Architect Vinu Daniel of Wallmakers is focused primarily on sustainability. Using mainly mud blocks, rammed earth and burnt bricks he designs spaces in their raw, natural state. He met the legendary Laurie Baker while studying architecture. “Baker made me understand that a building can co-exist with nature and be built with minimal wastage.” For awhile … Read more

Ecological Flooring Options

Besides some of the obvious choices for ecological flooring, such as adobe or flagstone, there are a number of commercial products that you might consider. Hardwood is great for floors, but it is often not sustainably harvested. Materials like bamboo, renewable fibers, linoleum and others may be sustainably sourced, recyclable, or renewable. Bamboo flooring is … Read more

The Great Carbon Reckoning

When Kate Simonen, a professor who leads the Carbon Leadership Forum at the University of Washington, was a young architect experimenting with alternative approaches to conventional concrete. She called up her structural engineer on an educational-building project and asked if they could swap out some of the cement in their mix for fly ash. He … Read more