Iain Ruadh MacMaster arrived on Cape Breton Island from Scotland in 1801. He climbed the slope of his land grant—approximately 200 acres from the shoreline up and over the rise—and built his house on the hillside. Legend has it that a driving rainstorm washed that first house down the hill. So he set to building … Read more
The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center has produced a prototype 3D printed house made entirely of bio-based materials. The 600-sq.-ft. structure is composed of wood fibers and what the Composites Center described as bio-resins, making the building fully recyclable. All the components of the house—roof, walls, and floors—were printed on what the … Read more
Joe Lyth and his family live in a passive house near Auckland, New Zealand, which is a big change from their former home in London. The ethos that made this architect design such an eco-friendly home for his own family applies to all aspects of their life. “We hardly ever buy anything new,” architect Joe … Read more
Cahercastle (built the late 1400s) sat in ruins for centuries before its new owner carefully restored it. Castles like this one, also known as “tower houses,” are common in Ireland. Designed as both fortifications and residences, most are just a single tower stretching up above the landscape. There is something about their humble appearance that … Read more
Inspired by the church missions built in the 18th century in California, Dave Wills thought “If they can last that long, it must be a solid way to build,” explaining why he looked into rammed earth to build his dream home in Philomath, Oregon. The walls are made from earth from a nearby quarry, a … Read more
The manufacture of concrete, steel, and glass uses vast amounts of raw materials and water and emits copious amounts of greenhouse gases per year. A staggering 8% of total global carbon dioxide emissions come from cement manufacture alone. Moreover, embodied carbon, which is carbon released over the entire life cycle of a building, including end-of-life … Read more