Green Buildings Contribute To Our Well-Being

We know that green buildings help the environment, but they also help us feel better. Toyin-Ann Yerifor is an architectural consultant who has been an advocate for both green living and holistic architectural design. She believes that health and wellness should be an integral factor in any project. A building’s impact on one’s health is … Read more

Architect Describes How He Made His Passive Home

In January 1973, when Fred Black was a first semester student at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture, the overwhelming sentiment in academia was that we had an environmental emergency in progress.  Humankind had been burning fossil fuels at an alarming rate since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and there was hard, … Read more

A 21 Acre Food Forest and Learning Center in India

In 1996, Raghava inherited a coconut plantation from his grandfather. Unlike his ancestors who had practiced agriculture for seven generations, Raghava, then an undergraduate, had no connection with the soil. “I grew up on a healthy diet of inspiring stories of local and international entrepreneurs. This was one of the reasons that motivated me to … Read more

Is Composite Decking an Ecological Choice?

Traditional wood decking brings with it a number of negative environmental effects. Tropical hardwoods can contribute to rain forest deforestation and habitat degradation. Using sustainably sourced fast-growth timber from ethically managed plantations is a step in the right direction, but it can often be difficult to ensure that timber branded as sustainable is actually sourced … Read more

Mudgirls Manifesto

Mudgirls Manifesto is primarily a review of the evolution of the Mudgirls Collective, a radical group of Canadian women whose philosophy is that there should be no limits to their activities based on gender or social expectation. For over a decade they have been building homes for clients using natural materials and conducting workshops on … Read more

The Root Cellar Capital of the World

Elliston, a tiny town in Newfoundland, Canada’s most eastern province, was traditionally a fishing community. Cod was king, until in 1992,  the Canadian government imposed a cod fishing moratorium. Overnight, thousands of livelihoods were wiped out. Many locals left for work in other provinces. Some enterprising residents decided to put some of the legendary Newfoundland … Read more