For centuries, Morocco’s Aït-Ben-Haddou has been a thriving nexus of commerce, culture, and architectural ingenuity. As a bridge between Marrakech and Timbuktu, it serves as a refuge for traders and a fortress against the desert’s harsh elements. Its sun-baked walls stand as a monument to adaptation and survival, sculpted from the very land it inhabits. … Read more
The traditional craft of stone building has thrived for generations in Saudi Arabia’s Baha region, with local artisans skillfully utilizing the region’s abundant stones and trees. Locals are working to adapt the practice to meet contemporary demands. It is a labor-intensive process, lasting several months and involves using various types of stones, including cornerstones, long … Read more
A century-old wooden structure is transformed into an atelier and office in a mountainous region north of Kyoto, Japan, integrating traditional Japanese craftsmanship and locally sourced materials. The renovation retains as much of the original handcrafted timber frame as possible. Complementing the existing framework, the studio introduces a cypress structure fitted with handcrafted sliding doors … Read more
In Ladakh, India’s highest plateau, residential architecture is shaped by extreme cold, intense solar radiation and arid landscape. Structures rely on locally sourced sun-dried mud bricks, rammed earth and timber, with hand-plastered walls and meticulously layered timber and compacted earth roofs engineered to withstand heavy snowfall. The spatial organization—livestock housed on the ground floor with … Read more
The New Streat Hill House in England was built from recycled materials, including rubble from a burned-out bungalow that was on the site. When viewed from a distance, the home is intended to resemble two barns sitting on a meadow. This was achieved by half burying the 750-square-metre residence into the south-facing slope and covering … Read more
Deep in the Andes mountains of Columbia, Julio Leon is building a three-room house made mostly out of earth. To make the walls, Leon shovels damp earth in between two wooden panels. Then, he climbs on top of the 3-foot-tall pile and pounds it repeatedly with a wooden ram, turning his mound into a sturdy … Read more