In October 2020, when a fire threatened Pasadena, California Kenjus Watson and his family temporarily relocated with loved ones across the country in Ohio. Between the fire, terrible air quality, and the ongoing COVID pandemic, they felt the acute fragility of their situation. This marked a turning point him for him. Instead of pursuing an … Read more
In Minto, Ontario, Chris Vander Hout and Christine Hoy live with their son on a 20-acre property “in harmony with nature.” The straw bale home features a green roof with drought-resistant vegetation, locally sourced materials, hot water heated by solar energy, a rain-harvesting system, a composting toilet, a central greenhouse, a dug well for their water … Read more
An international team of researchers has systematically compared green walls, bare walls, and natural cliffs, and come to the conclusion that plant-covered facades help cool urban areas and provide habitats for plants, birds, insects and other organisms. The research was led by Utrecht University ecologist Katharina Hecht, and published in the journal Building and Environment. … Read more
b-home Studio in Catskill, New York is a project that has been Matt Bua’s life’s work for close to two decades. The artist and his friends have cobbled together over 30 structures concentrated in a just one- or two-acre area of the 27 acres that he owns. He has dubbed it a “mythical repurposed city.” … Read more
Melote House is a fully off-grid safari lodge in South Africa, where sustainability and ecological sensitivity are at the fore. The curved design follows the contours of the hill it sits in. Everything taken out from the hill was put back in through the rammed earth walls. Green roofs return the land area occupied by … Read more
“I do think that the pallet communities present a very flexible and rapid response to a very critical problem,” said Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber. “We have not chosen any sites and are still in the process to figure out what the best strategy is to communicate to our constituents and our residents where and … Read more