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
Professor Janis Birkeland is an honorary professor at the University of Melbourne who has taught sustainable planning and architecture at several universities. Previously, she worked as a planner, architect, and lawyer in San Francisco to gain insights into the impediments to sustainability. The following are her thoughts about green buildings and the rating systems that … Read more
I just finished reading The Head Hutt Picture Book: A photojournalistic overview of a 10 year learning experience by Gabrielle Lilly. This is one of several colorful kindle editions that she has published about this project. Gabrielle was trained as an artist, specializing in ceramics, and especially loved to create sculpted head shapes. When she … Read more
I recently received the following email from Kimi Ishikawa: We are in the process of building the first-ever fully permitted tire bale home in New Mexico! I exchanged emails with Owen Geiger while we were exploring building methods, and shared info with him on Foxhole Homes, the organization that hopes to build tire bale homes in … Read more
The Ecocapsule is self-contained egg-shaped, mobile dwelling with solar and wind energy. Sona Pohlova and Tomáš Žáček created the original design in 2014 for an American client “who had a big ranch where he didn’t have any infrastructure and he needed some living units for visitors”. They spent 5 years turning their plans into a … Read more