Minnesota Set to Adopt Hempcrete and Strawbale Building Codes

Minnesota appears to be the first US state on the path to adopting the newest official residential building codes featuring hempcrete and strawbale. The nine-member Technical Advisory Group voted in favor of hempcrete and strawbale, said advocates who had to appear before the advisory board twice with significant revisions to finally get approval. “When we … Read more

Bamboo’s Billion-Dollar Boom

  The bamboo construction industry is making headlines for its astonishing market growth.  Builders and architects are seeking alternatives that reduce carbon footprints and resource depletion. Bamboo is fast-growing and environmentally friendly. This isn’t just a trend—it’s a fundamental shift in how we think about green construction. You can read the original article at www.msn.com

Aman Sinaya Bamboo House on Mindanao Island

In Philippine mythology, Aman Sinaya is the revered goddess of the sea, wielding her power over the ocean and its inhabitants. This deity, therefore, serves as a fitting inspiration for the name of a sustainable beachfront home on the island of Mindanao known for its rollicking waves and white-sand beaches. Like a goddess facing the … Read more

How Prefabricated Green Buildings Are Shaping Climate-Resilient Cities

A climate-resilient city can predict, withstand and recover from climate-related hazards — storms, heatwaves, floods — while maintaining its essential functions and keeping its population safe.  Key attributes include a robust infrastructure, renewable energy integration, natural buffers like parks and wetlands, and proactive city planning. These are some of the factors that cities use to anticipate, … Read more

Going for Zero: “Building Reuse Is Climate Action”

Carl Elefante’s Going for Zero: Decarbonizing the Built Environment on the Path to Our Urban Future broadens the horizon about how architecture can move toward a carbon-free future and achieve it.  Elefante, who served as the 2018 National AIA president, writes about the valuable lessons that our built heritage can teach us. He is concerned … Read more