Japanese architect Shigeru Ban’s Paper Log House has been added to a Glass House and a Brick House at architect Philip Johnson’s former estate in New Canaan, Connecticut. It’s a small house — just one room — and it’s made mostly of paper, but it’s more resilient than it looks. The foundation is made of … Read more
The Open Space Visitor Center in Albuquerque, NM has erected an all-natural hut for children to gather in and use during field trips to the center. Willow branches had were collected from a nearby field over several days for this purpose. “We can definitely use this hut as an opportunity for a learning space or … Read more
The first step to cutting construction costs is “affordability by design,” which means ensuring the basic blueprint of a building is optimized to minimize costs from the outset. Biologist Carl Bergmann noticed that larger animals tended to live in colder climates, where their size helps them retain heat more efficiently. This observation suggests that larger … Read more
At the end of 2011, after deciding to go to France for a “gap year”, Australian Karen Stride arrived in the country with a 12-month long stay visa with nothing but a desire to soak in the sights and sounds of her favorite European destination. “I didn’t come to France with the intention to buy … Read more
As a renewable and often local material, wood and bamboo are top contenders for low carbon buildings that consider a sustainable future. The works below explore some designs that employ these materials, by architects from around the globe pushing the material to some interesting possibilities. Knarvik Community Church, Knarvik, Norway, 2014. Photo: Hundven-Clements Photography Nestled … Read more
Kiran Amati and his father, Prakash, spent most weekends farming, and experimenting with dairy and cow dung products on Prakash’s farm outside of Mumbai, India. At some point, Amati and his father chanced upon “Geeli Mitti,” an organization that leads workshops on natural buildings. Eventually, with the help of Geeli Mitti and a group of … Read more