In 2021, Mathieu Munsch walked away from the “normal” script— rent, bills, loans, a regular job— and headed for a sloping meadow in northeast France to build something radically simple: a small home made from the earth under his feet, wood from nearby, and straw bales from local farmers. He kept it to 50 m² … Read more
Located in Eastern Ghana, Barnwood is a residential project by Symbolic Spaces. The development consists of clay-pigmented, monolithic villas emerging from the red earth landscape characteristic of the area. The studio has explored climate-responsive strategies for this region. This construction tries to promote economic efficiency, while using color and surface texture as integral components. The … Read more
Most bamboo species reach full height in three to five years compared to at least a decade for traditional timber, making it incredibly renewable. The fastest-growing bamboo species can grow up to 35 inches, or 91 centimeters, in a day! During its rapid growth phase, bamboo absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide and releases lots … Read more
Housing NOW is a modular bamboo housing system that provides rapid, affordable homes in Myanmar’s conflict- and disaster-affected regions. They use small-diameter bamboo bundled into structural frames that interlock to form the backbone of each house. This method uses abundant, low-value bamboo culms from local sources and transforms them into load-bearing construction elements through bundling, … Read more
Despite contributing nearly 1 percent to Nepal’s GDP, bamboo remains largely under-utilized. Traditional uses, including scaffolding, weaving, handicrafts and household items, dominate the current market. Bamboo’s optimal use depends on species and maturity, where shoots under three weeks are best for consumption, three weeks to one year for weaving, one to three years for small … Read more
Designed as low-carbon dwellings for people who are struggling to afford their own homes, the Tigín Tiny Homes in Ireland measure just 215 sf. They were created by Irish social enterprise Common Knowledge together with hemp producer Margent Farm and built from natural materials, including corrugated hemp cladding panels, cork insulation and natural rubber linoleum … Read more