The History of the Straw Bale Revival with Matts Myhrman

The Last Straw recently published this Oral History of The Straw Building Revival with Matts Myhrman The Last Straw: So, Matts, when you were younger did you have any sense that you would end up building with bales? Matts Myhrman: Not in the slightest. My dad was quite a good carpenter and he started me … Read more

Traditional Building Practices Offer Sustainable Solutions for African

Located in Burkina Faso the Lycée Schorge Secondary School shows what is possible when you mix traditional techniques and new materials. The school consists of nine modules arranged around a central courtyard that is protected from wind and dust. Each module is built out of locally sourced laterite which is cut into bricks and left … Read more

Regenerative Architecture on Sumu Island

On the island of Sumu Yakushima, Japan, designer Tsukasa Ono turned to regenerative architecture as his primary concept. An experimental housing cooperative jointly created by eight owners, this project in the woods was adapted to fit the surrounding landscape without cutting down large trees or leveling the ground; they raised the wooden buildings off from … Read more

William Urschel Demonstrates his Wall Building Machine

Filmed in Valparaiso, Indiana in the late 1930’s, William Urschel demonstrates his “Wall Building” machine in this video. According to his patent application in 1944, this invention is a machine operable to mold a solidifiable material into the form of a strip and deposit the same as a course or layer in the formation of … Read more