Key Considerations for Building Affordable Housing

This is an article that Owen Geiger wrote about a decade ago that is still pertinent today: Community Organizing: – Encourage solutions that are based on local needs and resources. Emphasize local control, community building, collaboration, self-empowerment, and sustainable grassroots solutions. – Involve the whole community in the design and building process: men, women, children, … Read more

1691 Wood Framed House in Rhode Island

The Samuel Clarke Farm, which, not long ago, was derelict and at risk of total ruin, was selected for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1691, the wood-frame house was expanded in the 1700s and again between 1895 and 1937. There are several outbuildings: a wagon barn, a hay barn, a … Read more

Bamboo’s Green Potential

An article in Eco-Business News describes some of  the amazing characteristics and uses for humble bamboo.  Like all plants, bamboo stores carbon. However, because it grows particularly fast—some species grow up to 90cm a day—and matures within a few years, it can be harvested regularly. This means bamboo can create a large number of durable … Read more

Down to Earth

I found a nice article about how Permaculture is taking root in India. “Australian-Indian couple Rosie Harding and Peter Fernandes, who run a verdant homestead in what is emerging as Goa’s hippest village, Assagao, aspire to make ‘growing your own food’ the norm in homes across the country. The bucolic charm of their humble stead … Read more