Jiaohe is an ancient ruined city and fortress, located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The city served as the capital of the Anterior Jushi Kingdom from 108 BC to 450 AD and was a center of trade on the silk road. At its peak, Jiaohe had a population of 7,000 inhabitants, and … Read more
Adobe is one of the few materials whose production, lifespan, and disposal results in net-zero carbon emissions. In this article we will highlight the use of adobe in Araukaria Arquitectura’s project El Encuentro on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia which has a humid, rainy climate. Adobe block walls, unlike rammed earth, can be built rather … Read more
This article shows how traditional materials, such as tiles, rocks, bamboo, wooden sticks, timber, rammed earth and bricks are being used in current architecture in China. The Qingxiao Residence uses green tiles, rammed earth, masonry blocks, bamboo, old stone slabs, old rubble, and terrazzo recycled from demolished villages. Not only were the traditional building materials … Read more
Professor Janis Birkeland is an honorary professor at the University of Melbourne who has taught sustainable planning and architecture at several universities. Previously, she worked as a planner, architect, and lawyer in San Francisco to gain insights into the impediments to sustainability. The following are her thoughts about green buildings and the rating systems that … Read more
I recently received the email quoted below from Matt Anderson. He writes about the new documentary that he has just released titled What’s a Colloquium? I watched the film and can heartily recommend that you watch it as well. Most of the video was shot during the last Natural Building Colloquium that I attended at … Read more
The Izadkhast fortress, a Sassanid era (224–651) fortification in southern province of Fars, Iran, will undergo some rehabilitation work soon. A budget of about $50,000 has been allocated to the project, which includes reinforcement of the foundation and exterior walls and covering parts of the fortress with cob material. This fortress was built on the … Read more