The Kasbah Taourirt is mostly made of rammed earth and mud brick. It is a fortified residence complex that overlooks Ouarzazate in south-central Morocco, which is often called “the door of the desert”. It is one of the best-preserved examples of this kind of earthen building, with three stories, balconies and big rectangular towers at … Read more
During the California heat wave of 1906, Baldassare Forestiere dug a home underground with just a pickax and shovel. He spent 40 years excavating 10 acres of rooms, tunnels, a chapel, an underground aquarium, and courtyards to experiment with underground farming. With no budget, he mixed mortar from the dirt he dug out, creating his … Read more
Castell de Llaés in Catalonia, Spain dates back to the 10th century. The castle is owned by an elderly Catalan couple who bought the crumbling building from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vic in 1994. Joan Tarrida i Miquel and Esther Capdevila spent 16 years restoring the castle and were looking for its next stewards … Read more
Changes in climate patterns in India have lead to higher temperatures and humidity, making conditions unbearable in many areas. Around 50% of India lives in a warm and humid zone. India is one of the countries with the lowest access to cooling in the world, and the need is expected to rise exponentially. Traditionally, courtyards, … Read more
Solar water heaters vary in design, efficiency, capacity and price, but they all replace a good chunk of the gas or electricity used to heat water with clean, free sunlight. The three basic designs all have a way to collect heat, a tank to store hot water, backup heating for when your system can’t keep … Read more
This article shines a light on four commonly employed structural systems in bamboo construction: The support system of a post and beam structure is composed of three key elements: vertical posts, horizontal beams, and cross-bracing. The latter helps to triangulate the structure, enhancing its stability against lateral loads such as winds and seismic forces. Usually, … Read more