Architect and designer Jenna Yu’s home in Providence, Rhode Island features wooden siding on an addition connected to the original 19th-century home. The addition was built with panelized straw. The walls were plastered by her family and friends with earthen plaster, and the light fixtures were handcrafted by her mother and step-father. With two young … Read more
Heidi McCullough is a building specialist for Clean Energy Economy for our Region, or CLEER. “I provide technical support for people looking to build high efficiency or high performance buildings, as well as people who’re looking to improve or upgrade the buildings they already have,” she said. She also helps people and businesses find grants … Read more
At 89, Lloyd Kahn has been building his own homes for over six decades, crafting spaces that include a few domes, at least one tower, and plenty of hand-split shingles. He’s documented his builds, as well as the makeshift homes of thousands of alternative builders all over the US and the world, with whom he … Read more
In a remote village of Pakistan Mustaqeem Khan has cultivated a success story that transcends his rugged surroundings. Using a passive solar greenhouse, he has turned the unforgiving winters into a season of plenty. “This greenhouse is more than just a structure; it’s a lifeline,” Mustaqeem says as he tends to rows of spinach, tomatoes, … Read more
Simon Baker sold his one-bed flat in London to buy a derelict cow shed in North Wales. He put all his savings into buying the land, which was a huge gamble as the shed didn’t have any planning permissions. Simon said, “When I saw the shed I fell in love with it – it was … Read more
Sim Van der Ryn, a Dutch-born architect sometimes called “the father of green architecture,” died. He was 89. Mr. Van der Ryn taught architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1961 to 1995, a span interrupted by a four-year stint in the 1970s as Gov. Jerry Brown’s state architect. Early on Sim was swept … Read more