On the coast of British Columbia, Ryan Leech and Krysta Powers are building their two-story post-and-beam family home using light straw/clay for insulation. They are hoping to inspire change in the construction community, to build as ecologically ethically as they can. They have used as much recycled and reclaimed material as possible. The owners have … Read more
The School of Constructive Arts is a field school teaching regenerative design, building, and ecology through direct observation, participation, and experimentation. Their approach integrates ancestral knowledge of natural materials and energy with advancing technology and contemporary building techniques to derive sustainable models of living for our time. They are building a campus in the Big … Read more
Thermal mass is the ability of a material to absorb, store, and release heat. It can be used to moderate building temperatures by reducing fluctuations. Materials with relatively high thermal mass, such as stone, rammed earth, and brick, can absorb significant heat during the day and release it slowly when temperatures drop at night, reducing … Read more
The second home on Maui, Hawaii using hempcrete for wall construction has been completed. Hempcrete is not only fire, mold and termite resistant, it’s also non-toxic, sound insulating, energy efficient, and absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. The owner, Jon Woodhouse, says, “Walking into my home, you can feel the difference compared to conventional home … Read more
Tony Johnson runs Earth House Holdings in Sooke, B.C., Canada. He specializes in rammed earth like his own house featured here. He used steel rebar and wool insulation, which results in exceptional strength when it comes to earthquakes and a much more insulated envelope for the colder Canadian climate. It is extremely energy efficient due … Read more
Penny Livingston-Stark is a designer and professor of permaculture who has worked for 25 years in the field of regenerative design based on non-toxic natural materials. She insists on the compatibility between bamboo and earth. Their similarities and differences help them to integrate remarkably well. “Earth and bamboo are not compatible with plastic vapor barriers … Read more