This 32 ft traditional canvas yurt is a beautiful one-of-a-kind 4-season yurt inspired by nature. It has been modified for the West Coast climate by adding a shingled roof, wooden siding, and extra insulation. From the outside, it looks like a round cabin but the interior still looks exactly like a yurt with canvas covers, … Read more
I am a member of a small group of natural building enthusiasts from around the world who are meeting online once a month to share ideas. This has been very productive and useful for all of us. Our last meeting was dedicated to a discussion about earth-sheltering that I led. Below is an outline of … Read more
Sea Ranch is a planned community along 10 miles of California’s northern Sonoma Coast that was developed in the early 1960’s. I remember driving past it around that time when I lived in Jenner, a few miles south of there. Sea Ranch was intended to be a second home community that embraced its surrounding environment. … Read more
This lovely building complex in Mekarwangi village, Indonesia, is a workshop and residence designed by RAW architecture. It was created with local craftsmen and materials (mostly bamboo) to create three organic-shaped buildings that fit into the landscape. They used recycled plastic, sympodial bamboo, and local stone for the foundations. The artisan workshop is a raised … Read more
As many of you know I maintain an “Ask the Experts” opportunity at www.greenhomebuilding.com for people to post specific questions that they might have regarding various aspects of natural building and sustainable architecture. I have been doing this for about two decades and some of the experts have been helping me with this for about … Read more
Ten years ago when Tim Kroeker’s last child finally graduated high school, he and his wife decided it was now or never to follow through on their many years-long dream of building a house…an alternative house…in “the country”. They had investigated a number of construction methods…straw bale, cordwood masonry, rammed earth, Earthship, log, etc. …and … Read more