When Laura Hood bought 155 acres and a home near Wenatchee, WA, there was a caved-in root cellar near the house. Ten years later, the root cellar has been restored. The root cellar is thought to be the first white settler house built in the area by James Christiansen in 1886. It was described in … Read more
When Gary Zuker bought an undeveloped piece of land outside of Austin,Texas he knew the only way he could afford a home there was to build it himself. With no building experience, he immersed himself in architecture books at the University of Texas (where he works as a computer engineer). He fell in love with … Read more
Sheldon Castle is a registered Historic home in Fairhope, Alabama. It is a unique, artistic structure secluded on a side street. There is a studio suite that is a completely private part of the Castle that is for rent via airbnb. Mosher Castle with a moat and dragon is next door. Dean Mosher is an internationally … Read more
On a small island off New Zealand’s mainland is a building known as Te Kura Whare, which is designated as a “living building.” New Zealand law now recognizes the local terrain as a living entity, with legal rights of personhood. The Living Buildings framework, as set out by the International Living Future Institute, awards the … Read more
Windcatchers are a great example of the marriage between architectural design and the environment to help keep your house cool. For more than a thousand years, windcatchers have existed in and around the Persian Gulf, providing natural ventilation and passive cooling. Keeping cool through the summer involves controlling how all the elements in the house … Read more
TECLA (an acronym for “Technology and Clay”) is a prototype eco-house built near Ravenna, Italy. It is made entirely by 3D-printing a material based on locally-sourced clay and is a collaboration between architect Mario Cucinella and 3D-printer manufacturer WASP. TECLA is a habitat consisting of two interconnected housing units, each covered by a semi-spherical dome. … Read more