I recently received this message from Patti Stouter, who has been a long time advocate and experimenter with earthbags and other natural technologies, especially as a means for surviving earthquakes and other calamities: I am beginning a test shelter project of straw wattle that may be helpful in both Ukraine and Turkey, so this report … Read more
Bioarchitecture draws on principles from nature to help solve technological questions and address global challenges. Take desert organisms, for example. How do they survive and thrive under extreme conditions? One such desert species is the Saharan silver ant, named for its shiny mirror-like body. Its reflective body reflects and dissipates heat. It’s an adaptation we … Read more
Built around 3,000 BC, the sheer size and quality of the ancient structures on the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney are impressive. They were originally crowned by flagstone roofs (whose remains often scatter their interiors), with walls that were made of carefully pick-dressed blocks and slabs of stone. Some of the raw materials seem to … Read more
Through a series of Natural Building Workshops in Nicaragua, South of San Juan del Sur, we studied several methods of using clay, sand and straw. In this video we display the technique of Light Straw Clay. At Centro Educativo Suelo Sano, we teach various sustainable living subjects, including permaculture, agroforestry, and natural building. We are … Read more
Hive Earth has pioneered rammed-earth construction methods in Africa and currently has four permanent members on staff. Husband-and-wife team Joelle Eyeson and Kwame Deheer formally established Hive Earth in 2017. UK-born and -raised Eyeson and Ghanaian Deheer were united by common interests and their passion for eco-friendly construction. They established Hive Earth to combine sustainability … Read more
Together, steel and concrete are responsible for 15% of global carbon emissions. Every day brings another announcement of a highway widening or a new tower. All of this is solid embodied carbon. It is all going into the atmosphere. This is why it is so important to build green and to build less. The World … Read more