Regenerative Architecture on Sumu Island

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

Living Off-Grid in a Self-Built Cabin

Stephanie and Joel share their 14-year journey of building a home from reclaimed materials, living off-grid with solar power, and growing a lot of their own food, from fruits and veggies to milk, meat, and honey. They built their home on shared land using materials they salvaged from the dump, wood from a building they … Read more

Touring a Sufi Community in New Mexico

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

Low Carbon Ways to Provide Shelter

In 2010, climatologists said Pakistan’s floods that year were “the worst natural disaster to date attributable to climate change”. Despite having less than 1% share in carbon emission, the country is ranked 8th in terms of exposure to climate hazards. Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change. Private homes are … Read more

Global Peace Week Explores 7 Core Needs

I joined this panel to explore the idea of providing comfortable shelter for all animal and human life on Earth. The 90-minute plenary invited leaders in the field of ancient & earth wisdom, natural building and community building with Ousmane Aly Pame, Kelly Hart & Mark Lakeman to respond to the following questions: What would … Read more

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