Tightly packed straw in prefabricated rectangular wooden wall frames are being assembled for housing in various places in Europe and Russia. Once the frames are assembled the walls can be lime-rendered. These houses perform well under resistance tests. Straw is available in abundance, is sustainable, has a low carbon footprint, can build strong and durable … Read more
Ladakh has a long and harsh winter season when temperatures hit as low as -30°C (-22°F). These long winters reduce the cropping season to barely four or five months in a year. Other factors include low precipitation largely in the form of heavy snowfall, high wind velocity, sparse plant density, thin atmosphere with high volumes … Read more
This tiny house was originally built to be a canvas-covered bow top wagon but was recently renovated to add insulation in the round walls as well as a metal roof. The woodwork in this home is absolutely stunning, with a custom standing desk, a curved kitchen counter, a sofa that converts to a bed, handmade … Read more
Earl Forlales’ grandparents, like generations of Filipinos, lived in a “Bahay Kubo” — a traditional, boxy, single-story bamboo hut on stilts. “Filipinos have been using bamboo even before colonial times, for thousands of years,” he says. Realizing the Bahay Kubo could be adapted to create a contemporary home, Forlales began designing his own bamboo houses … Read more
Insu-ram is a system of assembling blocks inspired by the cells in the wing covers of certain beetles that allow internal air flow to circulate. Insu-ram both cools and insulates a space from external heat without the use of machinery. The external pattern of the block generates a micro-shading effect that reduces the solar contact … Read more
Kisawa Sanctuary is a new beach resort located on Benguerra Island, off the coast of southern Mozambique. “I wanted the architecture guided by what we saw around us,” says Nina Flohr, referring to the waves of the Indian Ocean and the giant dunes that surround the property. There are 22 bungalows, spread out across 750 … Read more