Workshops

A Community Meeting Place in Belgium

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Students at Hasselt University in Belgium built a pavilion and an outdoor earth oven as communal gathering spaces. The structures are located in the garden of an abandoned vicarage. The design process prioritized natural and reclaimed materials. It serves as a model for architecture that integrates environmental considerations with social engagement. The design team collaborated … Read more

The Earth Building Academy in New Zealand

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Verena Maeder is an earth building artisan with 32 years experience constructing earth buildings. She first fell in love with natural building as a teenager, but because of the lack of formal training opportunities in this field she decided to pursue an education in architecture as well as building biology and ecology. In 2002 she … Read more

Community Rebuilds

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Community Rebuilds is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to build energy efficient housing, provide education on sustainability, and improve the housing conditions of the workforce through an affordable program. Community Rebuilds constructs affordable and energy efficient straw bale homes, working with the homeowner and training a dedicated group of volunteer interns on each … Read more