This article shines a light on four commonly employed structural systems in bamboo construction: The support system of a post and beam structure is composed of three key elements: vertical posts, horizontal beams, and cross-bracing. The latter helps to triangulate the structure, enhancing its stability against lateral loads such as winds and seismic forces. Usually, … Read more
inhabitat.com presented a collection of eight small “earth homes that almost anyone can afford” and half of them are built with earthbags! La Casa Vergara’s dome shape may captivate the eye, but what’s underneath is most impressive. The Bogota home, built by architect Jose Andres Vallejo, is made from earthbags, or tubular bags stuffed with … Read more
Marc Berman at programminginsider.com has come up with a list of aspects of ecological home design that I think is worth sharing. Selecting the right site is the first step in the design process. Orientation: Take advantage of the sun’s path by orienting your home to maximize natural light and passive solar heating. Position windows … Read more
www.motherearthnews.com interviewed Sigi Koko for a podcast that you can hear at that link. Below are some of her comments: I have a graduate degree in architecture and I then had worked for a construction company doing just conventional housing construction to get some experience building so that I could talk to builders better and … Read more
Thousands of people in Puerto Rico were still living under blue tarps three years after Hurricane Maria struck the island, and more than 30,000 families asked the government for assistance after the storm destroyed or damaged their homes. This is why Paula Paoli and Owen Ingley are in Las Marías, Puerto Rico, and hope to … Read more
The number of farms in the United States has been in decline for quite awhile, but some are turning to homesteading, where property owners use home gardening, lumber production and other subsistence skills to take more control over their lives during uncertain times. The definition of a homestead varies. For the purists, it means living … Read more