“We choose to build naturally because of its low carbon footprint and sustainability. We use natural materials like clay, river rocks, wood, bamboo, rice straw and carabao dung. Natural building is inexpensive, healthy, environment-friendly and the materials are readily available. As much as we can, we minimize the use of industrially produced materials like cement and steel.
Taos Green Home 1
“Green home in Taos New Mexico, a look around the house and the area. Taos is known for innovative earth based building techniques and artistic lifestyles.”
Training the Locals – Earthbag Dome, Columbia
“This training took place December 2011 in Nariño, the southern border of Colombia with Ecuador. During 2 days we gave all the basic construction tools to a bunch of very happy and enthusiastic locals which were amazed at learning a new earth based construction method, an evolution of their own local architecture!”
Straw-bale Home Guided Tour/ Adobe studio
“This property was sold August 2012. To see more of what we make visit Meiners and Lee Studio.
The Gender Difference In Eco-Building
“In recent visits to a variety of eco-communities across Britain and to eco-build sites I have realised quite how gendered everything still is, even in places where you might expect a more ‘progressive’ view. There exists a presumption that men like to build and that women like to garden and cook. When I ask people on site whether this is deliberate, conscious, or a problem, the majority have said ‘it is simply the way things are, men are stronger and can do different jobs to women’. But is determining what we are able to do simply a matter of physical prowess, or are other assumptions made in such statements which we need to disentangle a little?
CEDES Straw Bale Demonstration Home
“The state of Sonora recognized that to their south, in the Valle del Yaqui, the area around Ciudad Obregon, they had vast reservoirs of wheat straw that could be utilized for building. With a new governor in place, there was motivation to begin experimenting once again with straw bale buildings and take advantage of what was learned from our Obregon experience. Once we got the project underway, we secured the help of our friend Emiliano Lopez, who was in charge of the Save the Children building as well as the Cuenca Los Ojos ranch building to oversee the construction of this house.