Building a Rustic Cabin in the Woods

This rustic cabin was built almost entirely with materials found in the forest environment itself. The project demonstrates how traditional techniques, when properly applied, result in a stable, durable shelter that is fully integrated into the landscape. The structure has an efficient indoor microclimate, balancing temperature, natural ventilation and thermal comfort throughout the day. The construction … Read more

Great Mosque of Djenné in Africa

The Great Mosque of Djenné, located in Mali, exists thanks to a delicate balance between mass, geometry and continuous human intervention. Rebuilt in its current form in 1907 on older foundations, the mosque occupies a roughly square floor plan, approximately 75 meters (246 ft.) on each side, forming a compact volume that dominates the flat … Read more

A French Natural Homestead

In 2021, Mathieu Munsch walked away from the “normal” script— rent, bills, loans, a regular job— and headed for a sloping meadow in northeast France to build something radically simple: a small home made from the earth under his feet, wood from nearby, and straw bales from local farmers. He kept it to 50 m² … Read more

A Hand Hewn House in the Woods

This video shows how one man can build his own home in the woods without the use of modern fasteners and other building materials. He is ingenious in his creation of a lifting apparatus and other tools. This project was a real test of strength, patience and faith in one’s own hands.  You can watch … Read more

Tim Kring’s Adobe Roundhouse

I recently got this email from Tim Kring: “Hi Kelly, I built this round structure loosely around the round house studio plan.  The base wall is stabilized adobe using approximately 8% Portland cement and earth bag tubes from Cal earth. Once the wall was above knee high I switched to traditional Adobe block .  I … Read more

Building a Rustic Cabin in the Woods

In this video, Vasya takes us deep into the forest to build a rustic cabin entirely from scratch. Using natural materials, simple tools, and incredible craftsmanship, he creates everything from the foundation to the roof, adding functional and decorative elements like a chimney  and furniture. Step by step, he transforms raw resources into a cozy … Read more