Here is another nicely made video in the Groundwork series featuring straw bale building and explaining why it makes so much sense to think in terms of using natural materials for dwellings. You can watch the video at www.youtube.com or click the title to watch on the blog.
I came across this unique concept that the designers claim will “restore our climate to pre-industrial conditions.” This is a lofty goal that is certainly worthy of attention. It is based on a building they call the EnviroPlex™, that is “a multi-purpose, modular, high-tech installation combining organic food production and pollution-free energy generation with direct-air … Read more
I have been familiar with biochar as mainly an agricultural soil amendment that helps provide habitat for beneficial microbes and sequesters carbon in the ground. It hadn’t occurred to me that it could also be used as a building material, until a reader suggested that I check out this article at www.biochar-journal.org Biochar is a … Read more
Leading a repair team, Yang Long will spend around one year to restore an 800-meter-long section of the Great Wall in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. “Ningxia had long been at the junction of nomadic civilization and farming civilization in ancient times. In order to resist the invasion of nomadic peoples from the north, … Read more
Earth-sheltered homes are built into the land on at least three sides, keeping energy use to a minimum. An engulfed home allows for more stable temperatures throughout the home as well as less exposure to the elements. Underground America Day was created by “the father of modern earth-sheltered architecture,” Malcolm Wells, in 1974. He died … Read more
Wind can play havoc on many things around your home. Planting a windbreak can provide some relief from a relentless gale and it may also help you with home temperature regulation, while providing habitat for wildlife. Windbreaks can also reduce soil erosion, increase landscape beauty, provide privacy and screening, and provide some protection from fires. … Read more