“I check out materials available, some villages have stone, some make bricks, everybody had dirt. Timber is scarce and termites eat anything made of wood in weeks. If we use bricks they will need half the forests in Karamoja as firewood to bake them. Not very sustainable…everybody has dirt. Dirt? I remember making bunkers in … Read more
Imagine a creative, livable, affordable home. Now imagine it in Alaska. Join us in creating a model for a new era of Living Communities. First place prize of $35,000, and the winning design will be built! The Aleutian Islands are home to some of the world’s longest continuously occupied communities, with evidence of human development … Read more
Gardening Like a Forest- A Conversation With Dave Jacke Sustainable World Radio I Love Cob – Beyond Organic Podcast Cob Houses and Natural Building Permaculture Media Blog – Podcast with Paul Stamets, Rob Hopkins and Richard Manning Transition Culture.org RichSoil.com Please leave a comment if you know of other good podcast sites.
Here’s the fascinating inside story of how they built Frank Loyd Wright’s famed School of Architecture at Taliesin West. Desert concrete or dry-pack is more sustainable than typical concrete because it uses free local sand and stone, no gravel and very little water. Large stones reduce use of cement. “There was a query on the … Read more
From www.visualnews.com comes this story about using plastic bottles filled with sand as bricks for building: A surplus of empty plastic bottles is something that not only affects Africa, but the entire planet. In a small village in Nigeria, a solution has been applied to not only provide shelter in a poverty stricken country, but … Read more
A jali is the term for a perforated brick, stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern. They’re widely popular in hot climates such as India, because they provide light and ventilation, and don’t require glass or costly windows. You can build jalis in earthbag walls. Laurie Baker was a master at incorporating jalis … Read more