To encourage the use of more environmentally friendly building materials, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a nearly $6.2 million grant to the Nashville-based Hemp Building Institute. They work with entities that develop environmental product declarations and life cycle assessments for biogenic materials, such as those made from hemp, soy and straw bale, which … Read more
There is a Catalonian park in Spain that is home to a 3D Printed Earth Forest Campus, featuring a series of architectural structures printed from earth. The campus is the work of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, which has leveraged WASP’s large-format 3D printing technology to print these buildings. Their latest structure features … Read more
The Groundwork Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating low cost, environmentally sound communities based on the participation of the people who live in them. The Institute has its roots in a series of projects undertaken by a group of architects, builders, and environmental professionals to assist people in developing countries and disadvantaged communities … Read more
85 year old Rod Rylander purchased 10 acres of remote land in New Mexico with the intention of solving America’s housing crisis on a bare-bones budget. Now he is building an off-grid, solar-powered, 1,200-square-foot home with $50,000, calling his creation “the sustainable home.” Once he finishes this he plans to break ground on another one, … Read more
The tiny community of Coslor Cove in northern Navajo County is just east of the tiny town of Snowflake in Arizona – about a three hour drive to the nearest big city of Phoenix. This 1,300-acre commune wants to remain off the grid, with eventually all 200 of its residents participating in garden-farming toward its goal … Read more
While temperatures above ground fluctuate throughout the year, the ground temperature is stable. “Every building sits on a thermal asset,” said Cameron Best of Brightcore Energy in New York, which deploys geothermal systems. “I really don’t think there’s any more efficient or better way to heat and cool our homes.” The United States’ first networked … Read more