Ecological Living

The Great Zig-Zag Rammed Earth Wall of Australia

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In remote Pilbara, Western Australia, a new zig-zag structure is visible from the sky. What you can’t see are the 12 residences tucked beneath the rocky red soil. Architect Luigi Rosselli says that this project is the longest rammed earth wall in Australia, and possibly the entire Southern Hemisphere. “The Great Wall of WA” was … Read more

Sheltered: Underground and Off the Grid

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This article and documentary film are about building an underground complex that is far from being a natural building project. But I am posting this because I think that there are worthwhile things that can be learned. Sheltered: Underground and Off the Grid is a full-length documentary that chronicles the building of the largest underground … Read more

Earth Building Online Academy

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I just found out about the Earth Building Academy and their online courses. They have been teaching for 20 years and recently ran a free online pizza oven course and had confirmation that online courses really work. They currently are offering a 3 month series of online classes that starts on Monday, January 18th and … Read more

Ikea is now selling Tiny Homes

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The wildly successful Swedish company, Ikea, is seeking to move ecologically optimized tiny houses  to the mainstream. These tiny houses, or trailers around 200 square feet, bear the company’s trademark airy and minimalist style and retail for around $50,000.With Ikea’s emphasis on recycled and reusable materials, the company seems likely to accelerate some important shifts … Read more

Artful Bamboo Complex in Indonesia

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This lovely building complex in Mekarwangi village, Indonesia, is a workshop and residence designed by RAW architecture. It was created with local craftsmen and materials (mostly bamboo) to create three organic-shaped buildings that fit into the landscape. They used recycled plastic, sympodial bamboo, and local stone for the foundations. The artisan workshop is a raised … Read more