Design

Gulzar’s House In Ladakh, India Offers a New Twist on Vernacular Architecture

by

In Ladakh, India’s highest plateau, residential architecture is shaped by extreme cold, intense solar radiation and arid landscape. Structures rely on locally sourced sun-dried mud bricks, rammed earth and timber, with hand-plastered walls and meticulously layered timber and compacted earth roofs engineered to withstand heavy snowfall. The spatial organization—livestock housed on the ground floor with … Read more

A Hawaiian Dream Homestead

by

About 40 years ago, William bought 1.25 acres for $6000 on the Big Island of Hawaii and began growing his own food and building his own shelters. He was inspired to leave his native Wisconsin for a place where it would be easier to live off the land.  Today he lives with only solar power … Read more

The New Streat Hill House Embodies Much Recycled Content

by

The New Streat Hill House in England was built from recycled materials, including rubble from a burned-out bungalow that was on the site. When viewed from a distance, the home is intended to resemble two barns sitting on a meadow. This was achieved by half burying the 750-square-metre residence into the south-facing slope and covering … Read more

Earthen Homes Are Making a Comeback in Columbia

by

Deep in the Andes mountains of Columbia, Julio Leon is building a three-room house made mostly out of earth. To make the walls, Leon shovels damp earth in between two wooden panels. Then, he climbs on top of the 3-foot-tall pile and pounds it repeatedly with a wooden ram, turning his mound into a sturdy … Read more

The Evolution of Earthships

by

Michael Reynolds has been perfecting Earthships for 55 years, and now he says he has the model just right. “An Earthship is a building that encounters the phenomena of the planet to provide sustenance for its inhabitants,” Michael Reynolds said. It is heated by the sun and kept warm using thermal dynamics. The buildings collect … Read more

One Person’s Response to California Fires

by

In October 2020, when a fire threatened Pasadena, California Kenjus Watson and his family temporarily relocated with loved ones across the country in Ohio. Between the fire, terrible air quality, and the ongoing COVID pandemic, they felt the acute fragility of their situation. This marked a turning point him for him. Instead of pursuing an … Read more