A Round Straw-Clay Studio in Michigan

On a rural farm near Bear Lake, Michigan, builder Thomas Hirsch and architectural designer Ellis Wills Begley are embracing sustainable methods by incorporating materials like straw-clay insulation, black locust wood, and foamed glass aggregate. The studio they are building is in a circular form because round shapes are inherently natural and create a sense of … Read more

Cempedak Island Bamboo Hotel in Indonesia

Cempedak is an island hotel built in Indonesia entirely of bamboo, recycled teak and rubber wood and topped with grass-thatched roofs. There are no walls, not even in the second-floor bedroom and shower, in order to catch the sea breezes and be lulled to sleep by the lapping sea. The architects converted the conceptual drawings … Read more

German Experimental Flax/CLT Roofed Pavilion

Students at the University of Stuttgart in Germany have developed a hybrid flax fibre/cross-laminated timber (CLT) roof for a prototype pavilion in Germany which enables column-free spans and demonstrates the structural application of a bio-based alternative to timber. This system forms the wave-like roof of an experimental building designed for a garden show on the … Read more

Bamboo Design Around the World

Ibuku is a Bali-based studio headed by founder Elora Hardy and is a pioneer of bamboo architecture. This team of designers and architects is dedicated to exploring a variety of typologies – from homes to hotels, schools, and event spaces. Hardy recalls what attracted her to start working with the material: “I was searching for … Read more

3D Printed Earth Forest Campus in Spain

There is a Catalonian park in Spain that is home to a 3D Printed Earth Forest Campus, featuring a series of architectural structures printed from earth. The campus is the work of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, which has leveraged WASP’s large-format 3D printing technology to print these buildings. Their latest structure features … Read more

The Ayuru Forest Temple in Brazil

Ayuru the Forest Temple is a 230 sqm (2,476 sf) multi-functional space created for an ecological sanctuary in Brazil that is a UNESCO Heritage Site. This forest village is a conglomeration of ecological accommodations reminiscent of vernacular Brazilian Architecture. The roof structure is built of Guadua bamboo and is supported on 16 columns (11m or … Read more