A century-old wooden structure is transformed into an atelier and office in a mountainous region north of Kyoto, Japan, integrating traditional Japanese craftsmanship and locally sourced materials. The renovation retains as much of the original handcrafted timber frame as possible. Complementing the existing framework, the studio introduces a cypress structure fitted with handcrafted sliding doors … Read more
Crop straw in many rural areas across China used to be commonly used for cooking or feeding livestock. However, with the decline in rural populations and the increasing prevalence of gas stoves and mechanization in rural China, straw has been become a waste. But now, this waste is becoming a valuable resource. Straw remnants have … Read more
Windcatchers have been a sustainable solution to cooling and ventilation in arid climates, predating modern air conditioning by millennia. They are chimney-like towers with open sides designed to capture breezes high above ground level and direct them into the buildings below. By channeling cool air downward and expelling warm air through opposite vents, they provide … Read more
Simone Withers Swan, who introduced Nubian vaulted adobe construction to the Chihuahuan desert of Texas and Mexico at the turn of the 21st century, died in Tucson, Arizona, on January 16, 2025. She was 96 years old. Simone Swan was a legendary personality: mercurial, seductive, cultivated, curious, determined, imperious. She was by turns an architectural … Read more
In October 2020, when a fire threatened Pasadena, California Kenjus Watson and his family temporarily relocated with loved ones across the country in Ohio. Between the fire, terrible air quality, and the ongoing COVID pandemic, they felt the acute fragility of their situation. This marked a turning point him for him. Instead of pursuing an … Read more
An international team of researchers has systematically compared green walls, bare walls, and natural cliffs, and come to the conclusion that plant-covered facades help cool urban areas and provide habitats for plants, birds, insects and other organisms. The research was led by Utrecht University ecologist Katharina Hecht, and published in the journal Building and Environment. … Read more