A California nonprofit says centuries-old straw bale building could help tackle the housing crisis as property prices spiral out of control. In Santa Cruz County, the Soquel neighborhood’s Mount Calvary Lutheran Church is teaming up with nonprofits Just Places and People First to build a “village” of straw-bale homes for people coming out of homelessness. … Read more
Modern construction uses smart science to create spaces that are better for the planet. New materials are replacing old methods that caused too much waste. These changes help homeowners save money on repairs and monthly costs. Choosing the right supplies makes a big difference in how a house feels and functions over many decades. Eco-friendly … Read more
Near Hudson, N.Y., a Princeton University team has erected a cottage made almost entirely of straw, which they said is more sustainable than bricks or concrete. The cottage looks straight out of a children’s book but has some elegant, modern flourishes. Straw, which consists of the leftover stalks of cereal grains such as wheat and … Read more
In Gaza, Israeli attacks have destroyed or damaged over 90% of homes and displaced more than 90% of the population. The destruction has created over 60 million tonnes of rubble – which is equivalent to 10 Great Pyramid of Gizas. Green Rock, a community initiative in Gaza, is turning that rubble into bricks to build … Read more
To reduce the reliance of earthbag construction on polypropylene, an environmentally detrimental material, and simultaneously address the urgent issue of fast fashion waste, this research explores the suitability of using earthbag construction to reduce postconsumer clothing waste in landfills. Three approaches to generating new earthbag geometries were explored using sewn domestic craft: alternate modular arrays, … Read more
Jeannette Kuo: Both of you have been questioning standardized materials that have dominated the industry and rethinking what we can do better in our means of production. Some of this involves revisiting more traditional ways of building that have been forgotten or are not as common these days. I’m curious about the challenges you’ve come … Read more