After the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Supertecture was invited to design a school extension in the Himalaya mountain village of Dhoksan. The project embraced the idea of using donated materials from the buildings that were left devastated by the earthquake. The project involved the construction of four new rooms: three classrooms and a multi-functional library, and … Read more
Over half of all homes in India are constructed of mud, and this is for economy as well as preference. Even in cities people are beginning to think that their grandparents had it right. Mud houses have several advantages over modern materials, and here are 7 reasons why they better: 1. Longevity Mud brick can … Read more
I recently got this email from Steven Green: “I built a 10 meter earthbag roundhouse with the open air patio in Chaing Rai, Thailand. I bought the plans from Owen Geiger. In the cold season it is OK, a bit stuffy but warmer than outside. But now I’m suffering in the hot season. In the … Read more
On the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, in the small village of Peka Peka, there are a series of hillocks that have windows and small white towers that rise above the landscape like periscopes. It turns out that this is the underground home of Friedrich (“Fritz”) and Helen Eisenhofer. Fritz is an architect … Read more
The East Wind Community is hidden deep in the Ozarks of southern Missouri and calls itself an “income-sharing, egalitarian community”. They have 1,145 acres of largely undeveloped highland forest. There are 27 buildings and structures, including four large dormitories, nine personal shelters, a kitchen and dining facility, an automobile shop, a nut butter manufacturing plant … Read more
Nearly 8,000 schools were destroyed in the 2015 earthquake in central Nepal, and more than 33,000 classrooms collapsed. Fortunately the quake struck on a Saturday when the schools were closed. The earthquake gave Nepali architects reason to consider stronger structures that also addressed seasonal variation in temperature, natural lighting and airiness. The Dwarpaleswor Secondary School … Read more