While this is far from being an example of natural building, it does demonstrate an interesting concept for habitat that automatically responds to weather. Professor Weiguo Xu of Tsinghua University and his team have built a tourist reception center in China that opens and closes in response to the weather.The structure is used as an … Read more
In an effort to preserve an ancient building technique, Vista Grande High School in Taos, New Mexico is working toward adobe certifications for students interested in learning this original Southwest building style. Shop teacher Keaton Karvas (at left in the above photo) is engaging the students in his class with the finer points of adobe … Read more
Leading a repair team, Yang Long will spend around one year to restore an 800-meter-long section of the Great Wall in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. “Ningxia had long been at the junction of nomadic civilization and farming civilization in ancient times. In order to resist the invasion of nomadic peoples from the north, … Read more
Many years ago I was contacted by Mostafa Arefhaghi, an Iranian historian with this review of traditional adobe construction in Iran. Iran is an ancient country where the use of adobe and mud brick techniques have been common for a very long time. Below are some photo’s showing adobe and mud brick structures from historic … Read more
Quail Springs is an experiment in sustainable living that is part educational and part social exercise. Living on this 450 acres in California’s high desert is complex, with a farm, a greenhouse, composting toilets, yurts, naturally crafted buildings, 11 staff members, a handful of interns who come and go, and lots of outdoor space. Permaculture … Read more
Here is an excellent article about the origins and modern development of food forest concepts that I highly recommend reading. It is lavishly illustrated and very informative.