Lola Ben-Alon sloshes water into a tray of dirt and plunges her fingers into the muck. She smears it between her hands to see if it cakes on her skin, then mashes it into a sticky lump. “You need to know how much clay is in the soil,” she says. “That’s the first criterion for … Read more
Concerned about indoor air quality, Neil Decker and Stella Michaels wanted their home to be chemical-free, so they decided to build it out of hempcrete (hemp, lime, and sand). The couple didn’t think they could afford to live in California but found a rundown property in Gold Rush old country on the Western Slope of … Read more
Architect Dylan Johnson with his longtime friend and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard designed and built a straw bale home in the suburbs of Ventura, California. The straw is leftover from wheat, rice, or barley crops as the main structural element or insulation in a building. “There’s an enormous amount of money to be made with … Read more
In Ladakh and elsewhere in India, the built environment is dominated by structures that required unsustainable construction methods and non-renewable materials. Meanwhile, older traditional buildings are usually marginalized and neglected. A primary feature of this shift involves the use of concrete, “the most destructive material on Earth”, rather than locally-sourced wood, straw, and earthen materials … Read more
David and Carrie Chew live in a house made of straw. It has two bathrooms, a modern kitchen and a packed earthen floor. The exterior walls are made with stacked wheat straw bales covered in plaster. Proponents of modern straw-bale construction highlight the sustainability of sourcing materials from local farms and natural insulation provided by … Read more
Fusing local heritage and contemporary spatial dynamics, Casa De Mi Luna nestles into the scenic landscape of a nature reserve in the Czech Republic. Designed by Martin Zizka of Studio Circle Growth, the residence provides an idyllic retreat for an Argentinian-Czech family seeking respite from the bustle of Prague. The space blends with the region’s … Read more