On the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, in the small village of Peka Peka, there are a series of hillocks that have windows and small white towers that rise above the landscape like periscopes. It turns out that this is the underground home of Friedrich (“Fritz”) and Helen Eisenhofer. Fritz is an architect … Read more
This stunning 700-square-foot, self-built float home is fully off-grid with solar power, a pellet stove, a composting toilet, and an evaporation grey water system that ensures nothing is dumped overboard! It has an open concept kitchen, living and dining space, a master bedroom and bathroom on the main floor, two bedrooms on the second floor, … Read more
Gauri Satam and Tejesh Patil have joined forces to found unTAG, a Mumbai-based architectural and interior design firm that believes in building sustainable homes. They have worked on around 40 environmentally and economically sustainable projects so far. “As a student, I wanted to change the myth that architects are exclusive to people with money. A … Read more
This recent article at insideclimatenews.org titled Inside Clean Energy: 6 Things Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of the Humans’ Gets Wrong, written by Dan Gearino claims that the documentary’s “facts” are deceptive and misleading and way out of date. I wrote a blog post about this documentary where there is a link to watch it at www.naturalbuildingblog.com … Read more
I watched a documentary video that was released for free at www.youtube.com on Earth Day. It is titled Planet of the Humans and is a sobering look at the ecological costs of industries that are touted as “clean energy.” The program was executive produced by Michael Moore. This feature length film (1 hr. 40 min.) … Read more
Rex Hohlbein and his daughter, Jenn LaFrenier, are both architects in the Seattle area. In this TEDx video they present a novel approach to reducing homelessness. They suggest that we should “reimagine our personal space by inviting homeless residents to move into beautifully designed, off-grid, homes built in residential backyards.” Called “The Block Project” these … Read more