Natives from the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation in southwestern Minnesota are building a 20,000-square-foot manufacturing campus that will allow them to pioneer a green experiment, the first of its kind in the United States. They are growing hemp to process it into hempcrete, and then build healthy homes with it. Once the tribe makes this low-carbon … Read more
Young communards in the backwoods of Vermont and high plains of Taos knew that surviving in frigid climes meant something better than teepees and log huts. With well-worn Whole Earth catalogues as guides, they began figuring it out. Back then “Save the Trees” was a mantra uniting the movement. Northern New Mexico’s earthen homes were … Read more
Starting in 2024, new homes in England will have to make sure their projects deliver at least a 10% biodiversity net gain. Helen Nyul, group biodiversity manager for one developer, describes what has been done at one recent development. “We’ve got the house marten nesting cups which are on the side of the front end … Read more
Straw bale houses are gaining popularity due to their ecological and sustainable nature. These unique homes are built using straw as either the primary structural element or insulation or both, providing a natural and renewable way of building. Straw bale homes offer exceptional insulation properties that help you keep your house warm during colder months … Read more
Lola Ben-Alon sloshes water into a tray of dirt and plunges her fingers into the muck. She smears it between her hands to see if it cakes on her skin, then mashes it into a sticky lump. “You need to know how much clay is in the soil,” she says. “That’s the first criterion for … Read more
Concerned about indoor air quality, Neil Decker and Stella Michaels wanted their home to be chemical-free, so they decided to build it out of hempcrete (hemp, lime, and sand). The couple didn’t think they could afford to live in California but found a rundown property in Gold Rush old country on the Western Slope of … Read more