Built in 1864 by Charles White, the Courtenay Hotel was one of the first “coaching inns” between Christchurch and the goldfields on the West Coast of New Zealand. It was a center of activity in the region, hosting travelers, social activities and council meetings. The building had fallen into disrepair over the decades until a … Read more
The Amazon Immersion Pavilion was conceived as a conceptual project for Iquitos, Peru, where visitors experience the rainforest through sound, texture, light, and movement. It approaches the Amazon as a living partner rather than a backdrop. This organically composed pavilion is shaped by biomimicry, sustainable material thinking, and an understanding of local ecosystems. Bamboo was … Read more
This hand-crafted mud brick home is built with care and authenticity on over seven acres of mixed bushland and open pasture. Constructed using a post-and-beam method, the structure features stringybark posts cut from a single Tasmanian tree, paired with hand-shaped salvaged wharf timbers. Mud bricks were made on-site from the property’s own earth, making it … Read more
The Ugly Truckling is a house truck that was hand built by a woman named Kai in British Columbia over the course of many years. She is a carpenter and an artist, so she did all of the design and woodworking while her husband, Ben, worked on the systems for electricity and gas. Kai and … Read more
Grant Johnson moved to Utah in his 20s, purchased a piece of land that would become an inholding of a National Monument, and spent the next 40 years creating an off-grid homestead with a 5,000 square foot cave house. You can watch the video at www.youtube.com
A group of researchers at RMIT University in Australia has been looking at discarded cardboard and wondering if it could do something useful. Their experiments led to a mix of cardboard, soil, and water that behaves like a building material, not packaging. Early trials point to real potential, especially for builders who are trying to … Read more