Sustainable Life School‘s mission is to empower themselves and others with natural building and sustainable living techniques. Morgan and Mary Jane Caraway have been homesteading off-grid since 2009, when they built their first earthbag home. They held their initial public workshops in 2011, while building a sun room addition on to their earthbag roundhouse. In … Read more
Earth-sheltered homes are built into the land on at least three sides, keeping energy use to a minimum. An engulfed home allows for more stable temperatures throughout the home as well as less exposure to the elements. Underground America Day was created by “the father of modern earth-sheltered architecture,” Malcolm Wells, in 1974. He died … Read more
The recent Living Future 2019 conference in Seattle featured a presentation about carbon storing building components. To summarize, we cannot “net zero” our way out of the climate crisis. Net zero only addresses operational carbon. By focusing on embodied carbon, we can turn buildings into carbon sinks. The presenters tweaked Michael Pollan’s famous words about … Read more
In a backyard in Temple, Texas sits a playhouse for the homeowner’s grandchildren. “You mix play sand and straw together,” says builder Tracy McLoud. “You just take the lumps of cob and actually sculpt the structure without any formwork,” she adds. “It’s almost an exact replica of the miniature model that we built.” The cob … Read more
In an article titled “Students rebuild communities with sustainable bamboo architecture,” published in www.northbynorthwestern.com it is explained that after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck coastal Ecuador in 2016, the country suffered from severe damages and casualties. The use of heavy building materials was to blame for some of the casualties. Because of the damages from … Read more
This small Earthship is built with recycled tires and glass bottles, cob, and has a green roof. It’s a 1-room cabin so the bedroom, kitchen, and dining room are all in one open space. It does not collect rainwater, produce food or treat grey and black water, as most Earthships do. The property has a … Read more