Father and Son Build Simple Cob Home in India

Kiran Amati and his father, Prakash, spent most weekends farming, and experimenting with dairy and cow dung products on Prakash’s farm outside of Mumbai, India.  At some point, Amati and his father chanced upon “Geeli Mitti,” an organization that leads workshops on natural buildings. Eventually, with the help of Geeli Mitti and a group of … Read more

ReGrow Willow Combines Willows with Mud

ReGrow Willow is an innovative hybrid material system that combines the tensile strength of willow and the compressive strength of earth for architectural applications. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology also uses digital fabrication processes and computational tools to create lightweight, mobile, and adaptable fabrication equipment. The project further seeks to present a potential remedy for … Read more

An Earthbag Ecological Home in Jamaica

A home made of earthbags in Johns Town, Jamaica, is setting an example for sustainable living. It’s part of a group of largely self-sufficient residences called The Source Farm Foundation and Ecovillage. The home gets 70% of its energy from solar and wind, and the owner says, “People kept coming in our house to see … Read more

Plentitud’s Camp Cabin in Puerto Rico

Plentitud’s Bioconstruction team has demonstrated that spaces of delight can be created with accessible and affordable materials. They started with an existing metal structure with a zinc roof that served as shelter from the rain for several tents, but they wanted something that could provide more protection and comfort to their staff and visitors. They … Read more

Integrating Earth and Bamboo

Penny Livingston-Stark is a designer and professor of permaculture who has worked for 25 years in the field of regenerative design based on non-toxic natural materials. She insists on the compatibility between bamboo and earth. Their similarities and differences help them to integrate remarkably well. “Earth and bamboo are not compatible with plastic vapor barriers … Read more

A Gorgeous Example of Natural Building in India

Located near Mumbai, India, this 557 sq. m (6,000 sq. ft.) farmhouse was entirely designed with environmental consciousness by integrating biophilic design, passive climatology principles and construction technology. It consists of a free-flowing living room, kitchen, dining room, three courtyards, glass bottle floor, pond, bedrooms, toilets and pantry. Most of the spaces are shaped according … Read more