The site is private land of 8 acres with a dense forest of coconut, mango, Nutmeg, Teak, etc. They didn’t want to cut down any trees so the building was positioned with this in mind. They wanted no steel or concrete so they designed a timbrel, catenary-based vault structure. Twin Vault structures were made with … Read more
After purchasing a ruin in a hilltop hamlet in the Spanish Pyrenees, Emmanuel Pauwels created a home in close harmony with the elements by first spending an entire year observing the patterns of the wind, sun, and rain. Today, the sun provides for passive heating of the home via south-facing windows, but also an antechamber … Read more
On the island of Sumu Yakushima, Japan, designer Tsukasa Ono turned to regenerative architecture as his primary concept. An experimental housing cooperative jointly created by eight owners, this project in the woods was adapted to fit the surrounding landscape without cutting down large trees or leveling the ground; they raised the wooden buildings off from … Read more
Yesterday I had a wonderful and rewarding experience of touring a nearby Sufi Community along with other members of our local Permaculture Group. We were invited there by Sequoia and Sunny to immerse ourselves for a few hours in their nearly self-sufficient life. I was quite impressed by the extent of their accomplishments during the … Read more
Casa Ballena is an art center designed for Mexican and international artists in Los Cabos, Mexico. Its design takes advantage of the topography in order to play with different heights and create a natural buffer that allows both views and private space. The earth that was removed to create the platforms was reused to build … Read more
Growing upward, or vertically, can help you make the most of your gardening space by utilizing the area above your garden plot or containers. It is also good for better disease control on vining crops that need good air circulation. From hanging pockets to living walls and trellises these small garden ideas will make you … Read more