Can Bamboo Homes Help Solve the Climate Crisis?

Bamboo Living co-founder and chief architect David Sands is at the forefront of modern sustainable bamboo construction. His Hawaiian-based company specializes in creating bamboo homes. The giant bamboos are the fastest-growing woody plant on the planet. If you go to the Guinness Book of World Records, it was nearly three feet a day that they … Read more

Toquilla House in Ecuador

As a result of 2016 earthquake the 80 families who lived on the island of Portete, Ecuador were displaced to the mainland without any appropriate housing for the thermal conditions in the area. Materials of the area such as bamboo, wood, toquilla straw, and kade were replaced by zinc plates, blocks, and concrete. The traditional … Read more

The Politics of Adobe in West Texas

Adobe is the humblest of building materials, for which earth, straw, and water are formed into bricks and then dried in the sun. It appears in arid places where dirt is the cheapest and most abundant natural resource. Adobe buildings have thick walls for structural integrity, and the earthen bricks can keep the interior cool. … Read more

Five Well Established Eco-Villages Around the World

Ecovillages are intentional communities designed to be environmentally, socially, and/or economically sustainable. The concept gained popularity in the 1960s and 70s, although many traditional, rural communities have long engaged in these practices. All of these communities share a few common elements, such as locally grown and managed food sources, renewable energy and waste treatment systems … Read more