A Wonderful Waterfront Bamboo Pavilion in China

The Huanglong Waterfront Bamboo Pavilion is located in the ancient village of Beijiao in the Guangdong Province of China. “Baijiao” in ancient times means “hundred interlaced rivers and dense water network”. Public space integrated with nature close to water is a place for people to enjoy, chat and entertain. The Bamboo Pavilion is located in … Read more

Hermit Dwellings Among Boulders in Greece

Hermits clamped their dwellings on to Meteora boulders in Greece. Meteora has been considered a holy place since the Paleolithic, several millennia before Christians were attracted by the area’s majestic boulders. Later, monasticism flourished since Byzantine times, during which at least 24 monasteries were founded and maintained. Today, only six of them are inhabited. Meteora  … Read more

Thai Music and Science Center

Bamboo, rammed earth, and adobe bricks were used by Chiangmai Life Architects to form a new Science and Music Center in Thailand. The Science Lab is L-shaped and the bamboo roof looks like a heart from above. The earthen instrument storage room reduces the humidity fluctuations experienced in northern Thailand. The music center has two … Read more

An Earth-Sheltered Home in Madison, Wisconsin

“It’s an earth-sheltered home. Not necessarily built into the ground, but it’s earth-covered on the roof and on a couple of sides,” explains Jennifer Rios, the listing agent for a house in Madison, WI. “It’s in a kind of older neighborhood, with typical mid-century homes and older.” “We went into it not really knowing what … Read more

An Experimentally Thatched Earthbag Dome

Last year the folks at Vide Terra in Italy built an earthbag dome and decided to experiment with a thatched roof without a wood frame. Reed, bracken, cane thatching and experimental broom thatching, were directly attached to the dome. They used an unusual plant for thatching that is very invasive, local and abundant in all … Read more