Casa Covida blends rammed earth, mud, clay and other natural materials with 3D printing. These materials are local and easy to source. California-based Emerging Objects is a visionary studio that is exploring ways to use 3D printing using soil mixed with straw, sand, and other organic materials. The name Casa Covida refers to both the … Read more
Steve Demarest took advantage of the huge boulders covering his land in the Cascade Mountains to build a home that is part cave and part megalith dwelling. The location was originally a cave where his children played, but when they outgrew it, he moved in with his tools and began to craft the rock into … Read more
The ‘The Hill’ in Middleton Springs, Vermont is fantasy architecture on 12 lovely green acres. This unique 1100 sq. ft. home was a design/build project completed in 2018. This earth-sheltered, Hobbit-like home is filled with antiques and special touches that will transport you away. It combines old-world charm with modern conveniences. The cottage has a … Read more
The following email from Andrew explains an idea he has for a way to arrange earthbags into a fairly rigid, reinforced configuration. It seems interesting enough for me to post here and solicit comments from you dear readers. What do you think about this concept? Having read the article you posted on Machu Picchu, I … Read more
The ancient city of Machu Picchu, perched among the peaks of southern Peru, flourished for just over a hundred years between the mid-15th and mid-16th centuries. It is famous for its intricate, masterful stone masonry. But often invisible to the untrained eye is masterful drainage infrastructure and slope stabilization. Ruth Wright, a historian, travel writer, … Read more
Building with adobe — a material created by mixing clay-rich soil with straw, sand, and other organic materials — has been in use since 8300 BC. It is popular in arid and semiarid places where wood is scarce. The word “Adobe” derives from the Arabic “al ṭūb” meaning “the bricks.” Adobe buildings are low energy, … Read more