The Joali Being wellness retreat in the Maldives archipelago was built with a bamboo framework that is topped with a woven roof canopy. The engineering and construction aim to maintain the architectural idea of a floating retreat complex delivering technical solutions and details to preserve the quality and stability of the structure in the particular … Read more
Michael Reynolds, the 77-year-old architect and founder of Biotecture Enterprise has been experimenting near Taos, New Mexico for more than 50 years with constructing Earthships, self-sufficient off-grid houses that harvest their own electricity, water and heat. “We build according to six principles,” Reynolds sums up his philosophy. “Passive thermal heating and cooling, power from the … Read more
Standard brick kilns use a diverse range of energy sources to fire bricks, all of which release noxious pollutants and particulate matter into the environment. Also the raw material for bricks comes from top soil and clay, depleting precious land resources, which could otherwise be used to grow food. Brick manufacturing innovators are exploring the … Read more
The site is private land of 8 acres with a dense forest of coconut, mango, Nutmeg, Teak, etc. They didn’t want to cut down any trees so the building was positioned with this in mind. They wanted no steel or concrete so they designed a timbrel, catenary-based vault structure. Twin Vault structures were made with … Read more
Bill Sullivan originally wrote this article in 1981 about how to build a small log cabin and then it was reprinted and updated at www.motherearthnews.com. My wife and I kept down the cash outlay for our “Walden” by gathering most of the materials from the land where our house was to stand, and then building … Read more
Cochise County in Arizona allows people to build their own homes at a reduced cost of building permits with fewer inspections as long as the property’s zoning designation is at a minimum RU-4, one home per four acres. Program participants must comply with all Cochise County Building Safety Code and zoning requirements. It is intended … Read more