Hemp mixed with lime can create a low-carbon, more climate friendly building material than concrete. “There’s an enormous growth potential in the US for hemp fiber used for building and insulation,” said Kaja Kühl, founder of youarethecity, a design and building practice. “Hemp was only legalized in 2018, but now industrial hemp is following the … Read more
A home made of earthbags in Johns Town, Jamaica, is setting an example for sustainable living. It’s part of a group of largely self-sufficient residences called The Source Farm Foundation and Ecovillage. The home gets 70% of its energy from solar and wind, and the owner says, “People kept coming in our house to see … Read more
Seaweed has been used in constructing buildings since the the ancient Greeks, who used the material as wall insulation. They would fill wooden frames with seaweed and cover them with plaster or clay in order to keep their homes warm. Also Danish people would use seaweed in home construction, and 20 houses from the Viking … Read more
Penny Livingston-Stark is a designer and professor of permaculture who has worked for 25 years in the field of regenerative design based on non-toxic natural materials. She insists on the compatibility between bamboo and earth. Their similarities and differences help them to integrate remarkably well. “Earth and bamboo are not compatible with plastic vapor barriers … Read more
The Fab Tree Hab is a grafted living tree structure intended to be shared by people and animals. It combines tree-grafting techniques with cross-laminated timber arch scaffolds. The goal is for a dwelling seamlessly integrated into its natural landscape and to replace harmful industrial materials with durable, bio-based alternatives. Foundation elements use almost no concrete … Read more
Located near Mumbai, India, this 557 sq. m (6,000 sq. ft.) farmhouse was entirely designed with environmental consciousness by integrating biophilic design, passive climatology principles and construction technology. It consists of a free-flowing living room, kitchen, dining room, three courtyards, glass bottle floor, pond, bedrooms, toilets and pantry. Most of the spaces are shaped according … Read more