Rammed-earth houses are a distinctive cultural feature of the Hmong people living in the Dong Van Karst Plateau, the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, Vietnam. Traditionally, these homes are considered a measure of a family’s wealth and heritage, reflecting how long a Hmong lineage has settled in the region. You can read the original … Read more
Mike Oehler lived for over 30 years in an underground home that he built for $50 (and expanded for $500) on his land in Northern Idaho near the Canadian border. Now in his seventies his arthritis keeps him from hiking up to his home, but he continues to “write and proselytize” In 1968 like thousands … Read more
The Jalmanjar Farmhouse in India aims to optimize climatic efficiency through passive and active strategies suited to the region’s hot and dry conditions. The key design elements, including the orientation, spatial configuration, material selection and windcatchers, work in coordination to enhance thermal comfort while minimizing energy consumption. The farmhouse features a perforated gable-end wall made … Read more
Colombo-Colonial architecture in Columbia is a style characterized by rammed earth walls, stone masonry, and tile roofs. Architect Alejandro Saldarriaga recently designed a country home where “The closest airport is a three-hour drive,” he says. The 2,600-square-foot home reinterprets the Colombo-Colonial vernacular, but he was challenged to work with a sloping site with extreme topography. … Read more
Students at Hasselt University in Belgium built a pavilion and an outdoor earth oven as communal gathering spaces. The structures are located in the garden of an abandoned vicarage. The design process prioritized natural and reclaimed materials. It serves as a model for architecture that integrates environmental considerations with social engagement. The design team collaborated … Read more
For centuries, Morocco’s Aït-Ben-Haddou has been a thriving nexus of commerce, culture, and architectural ingenuity. As a bridge between Marrakech and Timbuktu, it serves as a refuge for traders and a fortress against the desert’s harsh elements. Its sun-baked walls stand as a monument to adaptation and survival, sculpted from the very land it inhabits. … Read more