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
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
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
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
The Saga of Macramé Park is a film made by Ben Van Meter in the early 1970’s in Bolinas, California. It shows how a wonderful and artful playground was built by my older sister, Alexandra Jacopetti Hart, with lots of help from friends and apprentices. They collected driftwood logs on the nearby beach and used … Read more
This video tours a farm with fruit and nut trees. The hosts forage as they go, and then cook a pavlova and make tea, entirely from foraged ingredients. They chat about how grateful they are to be nurtured by the trees planted and the actions taken by their parents and grandparents. 60 years ago their … Read more