In 2018 Builders Without Borders and the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation built the first straw bale house in Nepal. They collected loose straw and compacted it into bales using a steel mold and a farm jack.The bales were placed on a cemented stone foundation.Then the bales were held in place with external bamboo pins.A … Read more
Together Steph and Greg Parham designed and built their dream tiny home, the San Juan. They originally moved into together in a much smaller tiny home and quickly learned what worked and what didn’t. In their new build, they fixed the problem issues and combined their distinct rustic and French country styles. The result: a … Read more
In partnership with the Open Institute of Social Science, a research and teaching cooperative devoted to a fairer and more just society, Good Earth Global has built an earthquake-resistant, eco-friendly kitchen and dining hall for their vacation retreat. This project has a unique heart shape that combines 2 semi-circles. The canteen also has 3 attached toilets/showers. This … Read more
Using the sun to heat your house has got to be the most economical and ecologically benign way to keep comfortable when the temperatures drop. There are a number of common strategies for doing this. My favorite method is passive solar design, where there are no “active” fans or pumps to contend with. Most passive … Read more
This nearly one hour video program features some of the luminaries of the natural building movement and is well worth watching. In addition to the many interviews are some luscious images of the process and result of fine natural craftsmanship. Meet Linda Smiley and Ianto Evans who pioneered cob building in the U.S. and who … Read more
Here is a description of how a small cob shed was made with all local, natural materials. The audio is compromised by wind, but you can still get a good feeling for how the structure was built. Nicely done I would say.