The Australian government has provided an excellent guide to achieving passive solar heating in your home that is available online at www.yourhome.gov.au Just be aware that because they are in the southern hemisphere they orient solar exposure to the north rather than to the south, as in the northern hemisphere. This guide covers these topics: … Read more
Set in an old quarry that was replanted 80 years ago with hardwoods and pines, Woodsmoke was commissioned in the early 1990s. Designed by architect Paul Leech, whose other design work spans decades of environmentally-sensitive projects, the steeply-pitched building has 2,300 sq ft within, with some dramatically shaped rooms. Its rooms are spread over five … Read more
The Hjertefølgers, a Norwegian family of six, has installed a 25-feet-high geodesic glass dome over a cob house. The three story house is entirely built from sand, straw and clay, and without being protected this way it would be very thermally inefficient. The single pane glass dome was built by Solardome. The solar geodesic dome … Read more
Three rammed earth walls made of different colored earth define, organize and structure the Montemor House in Brazil. Each wall has a different height and they create a small triangular central courtyard. The house spreads to all sides from the true “heart” which is this courtyard. These walls also organize the spaces of daily life … Read more
The Garden House in Ecuador obscures the boundary between nature and the built space. The occupant must travel outside to access the washroom areas from the living spaces and the shower is located in a greenhouse and is nestled among its plant life. The design team says, ‘There are places where people do not know … Read more
The makers of El Silencio brand of mezcal near Oaxaca, Mexico are opening an eco-minded resort by their distillery. The property evokes both the area’s natural aesthetic and the production of the native agave spirit with six guest suites. Casa Silencio’s design evokes both ancient mythology and the creation and consumption of mezcal. The owners … Read more