Cahercastle (built the late 1400s) sat in ruins for centuries before its new owner carefully restored it. Castles like this one, also known as “tower houses,” are common in Ireland. Designed as both fortifications and residences, most are just a single tower stretching up above the landscape. There is something about their humble appearance that … Read more
Localworks has created the Mustardseed Junior School in Uganda with organically shaped classrooms built from natural and locally sourced materials. The earthbag walls are filled with soil from the site. The 1,146-square-meter (12,335 sf) building is used as both a kindergarten and primary school for local children. No two rooms are the same, which means … Read more
Sanjeev Karpe, an Indian engineer, shares how bamboo became important to him and why he thinks sustainability is so vital to the planet. In 2003 he had an opportunity to visit China and observe the prevalence of bamboo in construction there. He noticed exotic modern bamboo buildings, and how the plant’s tensile strength made it a … Read more
Yesterday I had a wonderful and rewarding experience of touring a nearby Sufi Community along with other members of our local Permaculture Group. We were invited there by Sequoia and Sunny to immerse ourselves for a few hours in their nearly self-sufficient life. I was quite impressed by the extent of their accomplishments during the … Read more
Casa Ballena is an art center designed for Mexican and international artists in Los Cabos, Mexico. Its design takes advantage of the topography in order to play with different heights and create a natural buffer that allows both views and private space. The earth that was removed to create the platforms was reused to build … Read more
I am posting this mainly because I think the design and execution of this large dome home is very nicely done. It is obviously not a geodesic dome, but rather one created with curved wall framing. The simple shingled exterior looks rustic and effective in shedding water. The wood paneled interior has nice warmth, and … Read more