Localworks has created the Mustardseed Junior School in Uganda with organically shaped classrooms built from natural and locally sourced materials. The earthbag walls are filled with soil from the site. The 1,146-square-meter (12,335 sf) building is used as both a kindergarten and primary school for local children. No two rooms are the same, which means … Read more
Adobe is the humblest of building materials, for which earth, straw, and water are formed into bricks and then dried in the sun. It appears in arid places where dirt is the cheapest and most abundant natural resource. Adobe buildings have thick walls for structural integrity, and the earthen bricks can keep the interior cool. … Read more
Miguel Elliott has been on a journey to develop a building technique that is super affordable, quick to build, well insulated, and natural. What he has come up with is the “Palletable Cobin.” Back in 2010 Miguel was living at a retreat center in northern California and someone had built a shed framed entirely with … Read more
The folks at Vanirah Farm in India have been building an earthbag/superadobe dome that will function as a winter community kitchen. Building the main structure with earthbags was fast, but the finishing work has taken a lot of time. They are also building a large earthbag rainwater harvesting tank. This video shows some of the … Read more
Context, climate, craft and sustainability form the pillars of traditional Indian architecture and provide precedents for new cities and structures. Indian architecture seeks identity through local materials with modern techniques. Deeply meshed with cultural and climatic significance, the following materials continue to build contemporary Indian architecture: Jaali is a local term for “perforated block”, and … Read more
“The new Helderberg Environmental Center is truly a magnificent building and provides the perfect setting for the various environmental education programs the City’s nature reserves offer schools and interest groups. This center provides us with a practical example of what a green City facility can look like. The project as a whole has proved just … Read more