Pete Bissonette has one of the about 650 homes Earth Sheltered Technology has built since it began in 1981. The company has houses in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as in California and Alaska. “I loved every bit of building it,” Bissonette said. “I’m glad I made the decision to build it. I have no … Read more
A new book, Building the Future; From the Ground Up, follows rammed earth specialist Paul Geraets’ journey as he masters this sustainable construction method on more than 100 projects across New Zealand, while on a mission to show how more rammed earth houses could change the building industry for the better. “Not only are these … Read more
Pedro Pedrosa and his wife Sofia left city life over a decade ago to live in a mostly-abandoned farming village in Central Portugal. After creating their home from several small outbuildings, they continued to experiment with local building materials- cork, pine, lime, and slate- by transforming three stone storage sheds into “Nature Houses.” Their town, … Read more
This is not your typical completely buried, stone-encased, hand-dug cavern from the 19th century. This is a much simpler, quicker, and more modern method yet still effective. Things you’ll need: 3 steel cans with lids, a shovel, plywood, scrap wood, roofing screws, 6-inch deck screws, scrap insulation material, straw, sandbags, and lots of dirt. Step … Read more
“This is a living house,” says owner Doug Rellstab of Pinedale, Wyoming. “When you go through, it just seems alive. If you look at all the curves that are built into the window wells and places, it’s got its own feeling to ’em, you know. It’s just not squared off and flat.” Rellstab and his … Read more
An Australian biotechnology company known as Mirreco has recently shared its plans to 3D print hemp homes. They have developed a way to produce hemp panels which can be used in both residential and commercial building projects. They say that these 3D printed panels are structurally sound, easy to produce, and provide superior thermal performance. … Read more