In Minto, Ontario, Chris Vander Hout and Christine Hoy live with their son on a 20-acre property “in harmony with nature.” The straw bale home features a green roof with drought-resistant vegetation, locally sourced materials, hot water heated by solar energy, a rain-harvesting system, a composting toilet, a central greenhouse, a dug well for their water … Read more
Melote House is a fully off-grid safari lodge in South Africa, where sustainability and ecological sensitivity are at the fore. The curved design follows the contours of the hill it sits in. Everything taken out from the hill was put back in through the rammed earth walls. Green roofs return the land area occupied by … Read more
Architect and humanitarian, Yasmeen Lari, was seeking funding to build a million bamboo homes for around $100 apiece, after Pakistan suffered its worst-ever floods. Now she’s shifted her plan, deciding she’d still aim for that, but with a new price tag to outside funders: $0. “I really believe that everyone wants to have a better … Read more
On a rural property on the slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Morgan Bierschenk and his team have been refining a durable, mineral-like material to build sturdy dome homes with a particular matte-ceramic finish. They have called their modular dome homes Geoships. Geoships are made of “bioceramic.” Used up until recently on high-end consumer electronic … Read more
Architect Janna Lasso Hadweh designed this cabin 24 square meter (259 sf)cabin within Ecuador’s lush Andean region. It is barely visible from the road, blending into its natural surroundings behind a river stone wall and dense vegetation. Its minimalist design, features dark metal, charred wood, and glass. Elevated atop nine metal stilts, the dwelling is … Read more
Architects around the world are finding ways to respond to their local climates and cultural contexts to keep housing cooler. Some are inspired by vernacular architecture and others learn from nature and employ biomimicry. The Startup Lions campus is an information and communications technology campus located on the banks of Lake Turkana, Kenya. This building … Read more