Modern Indian Rammed Earth Home

This 3,000-square-foot home in Vadodara, India, with three bedrooms and a pool, was built for a couple with two sons. They wanted an eco-friendly, well-ventilated home with plenty of natural light and an aesthetic blending with nature. “The layout is a simple one, divided in two blocks — one with all the living areas and … Read more

Container Apartments in Arizona

The trend of taking shipping containers and recycling them into architectural elements for homes hit Phoenix in the fall of 2015, when Containers on Grand opened. It already had a waiting list upon completion. Brian Stark, founder of Local Studio and one of the architects behind Containers on Grand, began working on a second installment of shipping … Read more

Free Materials Encyclopedia for Sustainable Building

Chris Magwood’s classic book, Making Better Buildings, is now available for free online!  This is a comparative guide to sustainable construction for homeowners and contractors. It is also a masterpiece of research and experience folded into an encyclopedic reference book for anyone interested in sustainable approaches to our built environment. Clearly a labor of love … Read more

Earthships in Canada

Craig and Connie Cook to sailed into early retirement aboard an Earthship. “We would still be working,” Craig said. “We left at 55 because we have no bills.” A lack of utility bills for their home, coupled with a lack of ongoing maintenance costs, allowed the Cooks to build a home for $70,000, and minimize … Read more

The Passive Solar Potential of Skylights

Research shows that, even in cloudy areas, a large chunk of our heating needs could be met with a few well-positioned (and well-managed) skylights. “I’ve been interested in passive solar heating for quite a number of years, but we live in a cloudy climate. And there has been a lot of skepticism about how well … Read more