Architect Vinu Daniel of Wallmakers is focused primarily on sustainability. Using mainly mud blocks, rammed earth and burnt bricks he designs spaces in their raw, natural state. He met the legendary Laurie Baker while studying architecture. “Baker made me understand that a building can co-exist with nature and be built with minimal wastage.” For awhile … Read more
Four years ago, architect Richard Morris co-founded Pounamu, a bamboo design and construction company in Myanmar, with Soe Win Zaw, a Burmese structural engineer. Before this he had no knowledge of bamboo construction. When he was asked to design a new school in Shan State his bamboo education began. Following Rudolf Steiner principles, the school’s … Read more
Biophilic design is a term which refers to the connection between our built environment and the living world around us. It speaks to our innate love of nature, our biosphere and connection with living systems. This tiny home has been designed to incorporate elements of biophilic design and natural building to create a home on … Read more
My long-time friend and fellow earthbag enthusiast, Chris Steen, has decided to sell the house in Crestone, Colorado that he has built over the last decade. It is a wonderful example of hybrid technology and evolving transformation over that time. Chris writes, “Much was salvaged (a ridiculous quantity of Styrofoam and brick/block), reused or was … Read more
This artificial cave, called the Upton Chamber, features a 14-foot-long tunnel that opens up into a dark, igloo-like underground dome. No one is quite sure who built this stone chamber. Records show that the land originally belonged to a local leather tanner in the 1800s, and farmers who lived around the land before that may … Read more
This Cannon Beach house, built in 2005, has a green roof planted in sedum and wild strawberries and is clad with cedar shakes. Architect Nathan Good’s clients wanted a home “that would be healthy to live in with a dramatically reduced impact on the environment.” Almost all of the wood was salvaged, wind fallen or … Read more