Built in 1980, this 1,731 square foot, three-bedroom home was originally designed by architect Don Metz, who designed several earth-sheltered homes in the Lyme, New Hampshire area. The owners added solar power and heat pumps, making the home come into its full potential, with limited use of fossil fuels. The home has passive solar heat … Read more
At fifty-one, Hal Hinkle was winding down a successful career on Wall Street and he was trying to figure out how to spend his retirement. He owned some property in Oregon, and launching an initiative to reforest the area seemed like a great way to reduce America’s carbon footprint. He recruited volunteers and sponsors for … Read more
This well ventilated home with plenty of natural light in Gujarat, India has three bedrooms and a pool. The layout is a simple one, divided in two blocks, one with all living areas and the other with bedroom spaces for a family of four. Between the two sit the leisure components of the pool and … Read more
Many of the residents of White Cliff, Australia live underground, and used mining equipment to dig extensive homes in the hillside to avoid the intense heat outside. Outside, the thermometer is often over 100 F in summer, although it once almost hit 122 F. But inside these submerged homes, it hovers between 68 and 72 … Read more
My friend B Sitkin recently uploaded this video he and his wife made many years ago at City of the Sun in Southern New Mexico. It documents many of the key events at the Build-a-thon and Symposium and features a number of my friends and fellow builders from that time. This event followed on the … Read more
Colorado Earth was founded by engineer and architectural designer Lisa Morey. After moving to New Zealand in 1999 to study architecture, Lisa was inspired to begin creating homes out of mud bricks. She met and began working with a local architect who was building homes this way. During her time in New Zealand she co-authored … Read more