About 15 years ago, Antonio Gutiérrez took a wrong turn and ended up in the mountains of Cantabria surrounded by cabins. Beginning in the 16th century these “housebarns” were built in the region’s high valleys to house livestock on the ground floor and people or hay on the floor above. Enamored with the lush greenery … Read more
My long-time friend and fellow earthbag enthusiast, Chris Steen, has decided to sell the house in Crestone, Colorado that he has built over the last decade. It is a wonderful example of hybrid technology and evolving transformation over that time. Chris writes, “Much was salvaged (a ridiculous quantity of Styrofoam and brick/block), reused or was … Read more
This artificial cave, called the Upton Chamber, features a 14-foot-long tunnel that opens up into a dark, igloo-like underground dome. No one is quite sure who built this stone chamber. Records show that the land originally belonged to a local leather tanner in the 1800s, and farmers who lived around the land before that may … Read more
If you ever travel near Kinstone outside of Fountain City, Wisconsin it is worth a stop to visit this marvelous site. Kinstone is a 30-acre haven of peaceful beauty filled with stone sculpture, natural buildings, restored native prairie, oak savanna and spectacular views over the Mississippi River. This modern megalithic site with its three stone … Read more
A guesthouse designed by CRU! Architects in southeastern Brazil features locally sourced bamboo and rammed earth to create a simple one bedroom and bath layout. This design also has a green roof that helps it fit into the landscape. A large granite bolder emerging from the terrain is integrated into the bedroom, sculpturally forming part … Read more
This Cannon Beach house, built in 2005, has a green roof planted in sedum and wild strawberries and is clad with cedar shakes. Architect Nathan Good’s clients wanted a home “that would be healthy to live in with a dramatically reduced impact on the environment.” Almost all of the wood was salvaged, wind fallen or … Read more