The Last Straw recently published this Oral History of The Straw Building Revival with Matts Myhrman The Last Straw: So, Matts, when you were younger did you have any sense that you would end up building with bales? Matts Myhrman: Not in the slightest. My dad was quite a good carpenter and he started me … Read more
Located in Burkina Faso the Lycée Schorge Secondary School shows what is possible when you mix traditional techniques and new materials. The school consists of nine modules arranged around a central courtyard that is protected from wind and dust. Each module is built out of locally sourced laterite which is cut into bricks and left … Read more
Filmed in Valparaiso, Indiana in the late 1930’s, William Urschel demonstrates his “Wall Building” machine in this video. According to his patent application in 1944, this invention is a machine operable to mold a solidifiable material into the form of a strip and deposit the same as a course or layer in the formation of … Read more
Trees for the Future has released a report that shares the short and long-term effects of agroforestry systems on hunger, poverty, and landscape restoration. The report confirms that their Forest Garden Approach effectively achieves the triple bottom line of food security, economic resilience, and environmental impact. “Farming and agricultural land use are key factors in the … Read more
The story of earth architecture continues to be told through structures that have stood the test of time. Earth construction techniques have been pioneered by many ancient civilizations. What appears to be a feeble structure made of raw earth is actually very durable. Earth architecture is considered one of the first methods developed by humans … Read more
Kolûba started in October of 2018 as we were working on a project called Sihirli Tohumlar Permaculture Farm near Istanbul, which is our biggest project so far. Derived from “kulübe” in Turkish, the word kolûba means a small hut built in the woods with organic materials found on the spot. Some of us had been … Read more