On a rural farm near Bear Lake, Michigan, builder Thomas Hirsch and architectural designer Ellis Wills Begley are embracing sustainable methods by incorporating materials like straw-clay insulation, black locust wood, and foamed glass aggregate. The studio they are building is in a circular form because round shapes are inherently natural and create a sense of … Read more
On the coast of British Columbia, Ryan Leech and Krysta Powers are building their two-story post-and-beam family home using light straw/clay for insulation. They are hoping to inspire change in the construction community, to build as ecologically ethically as they can. They have used as much recycled and reclaimed material as possible. The owners have … Read more
Sacramento-based architects Bronwyn Barry, founder of residential design firm Passive House BB, and Andrew Turner, CEO of GoodSpace High Performance Builders, have collaborated to convert an 82-year-old bungalow in Sacramento, CA into a larger living space for the family since they’d outgrown the home, as well as safeguard them from environmental hazards such as heatwaves, … Read more
This strawbale home on Australia’s coast is designed for passive solar and features reclaimed timber and ocean views. Joe, a plumber, and his wife Frances say, “We wanted to minimize our environmental impact by building a sustainable home that required minimal heating and cooling, had high insulation value, and used reclaimed building materials.” The couple … Read more
Natural fibers offer thermal insulation performance that rivals that of conventional plastics and inorganic materials and provide a fully sustainable alternative to environmentally harmful plastics. Natural fibers are sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature, sunlight, and humidity, which can significantly shorten their lifespan. Among natural fibers, those derived from animals, like wool, are particularly … Read more
C-ELM incorporates cyanobacteria into translucent panels that can be mounted on to the interior walls of buildings. As the microorganisms grow using photosynthesis they pull carbon dioxide out of the air and affix it to calcium to create calcium carbonate, locking away the carbon. A kilogram of C-ELM can capture and sequester up to 350 … Read more