Prefabricated Sustainable Homes in Canada

A Toronto-based company is selling a line of affordable, modular prefabricated home designs that meet and exceed net-zero standards. CABN lists designs ranging from 540 to 2,500 square feet and from one to four bedrooms. Standard features include: Forest Stewardship Council certified wood; Helical pile foundations that typically use no concrete and can be installed … Read more

Form Follows Love: Building by Intuition

Anna Heringer’s book Form Follows Love: Building by Intuition – from Bangladesh to Europe and beyond is a different approach to architecture where human relationships, local materials and knowledge, inform the creative process. Photographs depict buildings animated by everyday life, where human presence and social interaction take center stage, and the architecture gently recedes into … Read more

Tim Kring’s Adobe Roundhouse

I recently got this email from Tim Kring: “Hi Kelly, I built this round structure loosely around the round house studio plan.  The base wall is stabilized adobe using approximately 8% Portland cement and earth bag tubes from Cal earth. Once the wall was above knee high I switched to traditional Adobe block .  I … Read more

Remodeling a Farmhouse-Style Home in Belgium

Marc and Ann bought a  farmhouse-style home in Belgium in the 1990s. Later they decided to renovate it in a sustainable way. The house and its location hold strong emotional value for the couple, as they hope to grow old there. This type of home dominates the local landscape and fails to meet today’s energy … Read more

The Mud Architecture of Northern Saudi Arabia

In the heart of northern Saudi Arabia, the mud buildings of Rafha stand as an example of traditional architecture, reflecting authenticity, creativity, and cultural identity. These structures tell the story of an ancient past, embodying traditional architectural ingenuity that connects people to the land. The buildings were constructed using indigenous methods and natural materials including … Read more