When writer and adventurer David Noland set out to build an “old man’s age-in-place home” he set his sights on harnessing as much of the sun’s energy as needed to keep him and his wife comfortable through all four seasons. “The plan was to make our house small, simple, one floor, close to the road, … Read more
The Imagina cultural center on the outskirts of León, Mexico, is housed in a big, multistory facility, constructed mostly from locally dug adobe soil; it is engineered using bioconstruction techniques, a holistic building technique that aims to achieve a circular economy, minimizing waste and benefiting people. In fact, all 3,500 square meters (about 37,700 square … Read more
I usually avoid posting about projects that involve the use of lots of cement, but this underground homestead has many other features that are worth exploring. When Al Schwarz moved from upstate NY near Dallas, TX, he wanted a home with low energy bills and protection from extreme weather, so he dug into a hillside, … 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
Maison Melba is a unique architectural project that involves the renovation of a rural building nestled in the heart of the meadows and orchards of the Village of Frelighsburg in southern Quebec. The former 1970s automobile garage has been transformed into a living space that is open to the community and the development of collaborative … Read more
Wendy Green spent most of her life in suburban New Jersey spending long days as a yoga teacher, so when she turned 50, she sold her house and used the proceeds to buy remote land in the Andes. In her new homestead, she built an all-wood, tall and narrow, home, installed solar, a gravity-fed water … Read more