I recently got this email from Connor McKenzie who works with Modern Mill: “I enjoyed your recent article on using rice husks for compressed earth blocks and thought you’d be interested in another innovation: a Mississippi company that’s turning rice hulls into tree-free siding, trim, decking, millwork and more. Modern Mill has developed a building … Read more
In Philippine mythology, Aman Sinaya is the revered goddess of the sea, wielding her power over the ocean and its inhabitants. This deity, therefore, serves as a fitting inspiration for the name of a sustainable beachfront home on the island of Mindanao known for its rollicking waves and white-sand beaches. Like a goddess facing the … Read more
Ellen Snortland and her husband have now lost a home to fire, another to flooding and another to a mudslide — and they’re tired of fighting the elements. “We are going to have to deal with extreme weather for the rest of our lives. To pretend otherwise is really folly,” she said. “I don’t see … Read more
Anthony Dente is a licensed engineer and principal at Verdant Structural Engineers and Verdant Building Products and is the vice president of the Cob Research Institute, where he is committed to appropriate material use for all structural building systems. Anthony graduated from the Architectural Engineering program at Penn State University and moved to Berkeley, CA … Read more
Rammed-earth houses are a distinctive cultural feature of the Hmong people living in the Dong Van Karst Plateau, the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, Vietnam. Traditionally, these homes are considered a measure of a family’s wealth and heritage, reflecting how long a Hmong lineage has settled in the region. You can read the original … Read more
Barbara Jones is a passionate advocate of building with natural materials and has been a leading exponent of straw-bale construction since the mid-1990s – designing affordable, straw-bale houses. She has designed, built, or trained people to work on more than 300 projects using the material. She co-founded The School of Natural Building and trains a … Read more