Nineteen municipalities in Holland have made agreements on ‘bio-based building and growing’. With this they want to further promote the use of natural building materials and the cultivation of crops for this purpose. Biobased materials, such as fiber hemp and miscanthus, fit into the transition to sustainable agriculture, focusing on water and soil quality and … Read more
Natalie Musielski, a student in the Architecture program at Ferris State University in Michigan, imagined “Happy Walls,” a cooperative apartment complex for graduate students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks that leverages sustainable design principles and the psychological effects of light to counteract the negative mental health impacts of the region’s unusual seasonal light cycles. … Read more
Sinfonia Verde is an off-grid home that merges with the surrounding jungle ecology in Costa Rica. It floats over the jungle floor, almost disappearing with its permeability—an ideal way, it would seem, for inhabiting the jungle. Sinfonia Verde is a residence for a pair of researchers—a climate scientist and a marine biologist—who profoundly influenced the … Read more
Architect and designer Jenna Yu’s home in Providence, Rhode Island features wooden siding on an addition connected to the original 19th-century home. The addition was built with panelized straw. The walls were plastered by her family and friends with earthen plaster, and the light fixtures were handcrafted by her mother and step-father. With two young … Read more
Heidi McCullough is a building specialist for Clean Energy Economy for our Region, or CLEER. “I provide technical support for people looking to build high efficiency or high performance buildings, as well as people who’re looking to improve or upgrade the buildings they already have,” she said. She also helps people and businesses find grants … Read more
At 89, Lloyd Kahn has been building his own homes for over six decades, crafting spaces that include a few domes, at least one tower, and plenty of hand-split shingles. He’s documented his builds, as well as the makeshift homes of thousands of alternative builders all over the US and the world, with whom he … Read more