Archaeologists in the United Arab Emirates have uncovered the country’s oldest known buildings, dating back at least 8,500 years. This is more than 500 years older than the previous record-breaking discoveries. The buildings are located on the island of Ghagha, west of the city of Abu Dhabi. The structures which have been unearthed are “simple … Read more
Barns can offer big and bright spaces, with vaulted ceilings, exposed bricks and ancient timbers. Barn conversions also lend themselves easily to creating open-plan interiors. Modern design meets 200-year-old architecture at this delightful barn near Usk, in Monmouthshire. It is a traditional dry-stone building with a pitched terracotta roof. The 5,198sq ft interior has exposed … Read more
Chris Magwood’s classic book, Making Better Buildings, is now available for free online! This is a comparative guide to sustainable construction for homeowners and contractors. It is also a masterpiece of research and experience folded into an encyclopedic reference book for anyone interested in sustainable approaches to our built environment. Clearly a labor of love … Read more
For over 25 years, The Last Straw journal was dedicated to natural building and ecological design. It was started as a collective effort by straw bale builders Matts Myrhman and Judy Knox in Tuscon, Arizona in 1993. Since then twenty four editors, three publishers, and countless contributors have continued the long conversation about alternative ways … Read more
Celine Ramjit is an artist working in eco-architecture, weaving; and tattooing. Now she is building a community and a homestead through an art practice that is immersed in nature. Ramjit grew up in Trinidad where she started a tattoo apprenticeship in 2013 which revealed the anthropological history of body art. Ramjit volunteered to work for … Read more
A recent study in pre-Hispanic northern Peru shows the use of adobe brick building as early as 5,000 years ago. The research shows how the adobe blocks were formed from compacted clay deposits created by El Niño flooding events. Adobe architecture was applied across the pre-Colombian Andes in the building of “early sacred monumental pyramidal … Read more