Warka Water, the non-profit organization led by Italian architect Arturo Vittori, is building an integrated village in Cameroon. They already have around 30 people, including both workers and pygmy peoples — hunter-gatherers of the tropical rain forest — living on site. This ‘Warka Village’ is being constructed with local and natural materials and ancient local … Read more
Marlena and Eugene built their homestead in Blanco, Texas using salvaged windows, doors, wood flooring, tile, a bathtub, a lot of plywood, and some lumber. After over a decade of building, they now have a completely off-grid home, workshop, garden, and rental cabin. They bought all six of their 500- to 700-gallon rainwater barrels for … Read more
Australia is deploying renewables 10 times faster than the global average, with rooftop solar in the lead. And the per-capita deployment rate was four times higher than fast-developing renewable markets such as China, Europe, Japan and the U.S. What lessons can they offer to improve the uptake of clean energy? While Australia has a vibrant … Read more
This short video demonstrates how simple it is to make a very basic evaporative cooler for produce. You can watch the video at www.youtube.com Obtain two large clay or terracotta pots. One pot must be smaller than the other pot. Check that the smaller pot fits inside the larger and that there is a space … Read more
The ‘Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Services Clinic’ was built using rammed earth sourced exclusively from the site. It is built around a sheltered courtyard, where Australian hardwoods are used to minimize the heat effect. Built in Newman, a remote town located 1200 km north of Perth, the clinic places wellness at the center of the community … Read more
This article shows how traditional materials, such as tiles, rocks, bamboo, wooden sticks, timber, rammed earth and bricks are being used in current architecture in China. The Qingxiao Residence uses green tiles, rammed earth, masonry blocks, bamboo, old stone slabs, old rubble, and terrazzo recycled from demolished villages. Not only were the traditional building materials … Read more