Ecological Living

Sustainable Architecture Thrives on Artisan Techniques

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Most modern construction largely relies on industrial methods, but there is a renewed respect for traditional craftsmanship. Understanding how people utilize handmade brick, lime plaster, woven bamboo, and rammed earth represents cultural continuity and authenticity. Craft hasn’t vanished due to obsolete technologies or disappearing artisans. It has been economically repositioned, revealing complexities beyond material use … Read more

This Home in India is Designed to Keep Cool

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This 6,300-square-foot inward-looking structure wraps around three sides of a central courtyard, enhancing the ingress of natural light and ventilation. Wooden louvered windows control both light and breeze, allowing the interiors to remain shaded yet well ventilated. The sunlight that enters is softened, while air passes through in a steady, almost unnoticed manner. The louvres are … Read more

Sustainable Living: Homes for Our Time

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A new book published by Taschen, Sustainable Living: Homes for Our Time, by Philip Jodidio, showcases the quiet revolution in green residential architecture, from living roofs to rainwater harvesting. “Twenty or 30 years ago, sustainability was often treated as a specialist concern,” said Philip Jodidio. “Today it shapes almost every discussion about housing, from materials … Read more

Rammed Earth House in the U.K.

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On the site of a former brickworks in rural Wiltshire, Tuckey Design Studio has completed the construction of a new residential project crafted from rammed earth, which is a compacted mixture of clay, sand and gravel used to form solid walls, resulting in highly durable, energy-efficient structures. The concept for Rammed Earth House emerged from the … Read more

The Women’s Natural Building Collective in Portugal

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The Women’s Natural Building Collective in Portugal is run by a core group of experienced natural builders. They organize workshops for people to learn how to build ecological houses with local natural materials like earth, straw and timber. They discovered that there was something undeniably magical about the way they work and communicate together when … Read more