“A wonderfully informative reference on vernacular styles, from adobe pueblos and Pennsylvania barns to Mongolian yurts and Indonesian stilt houses. This small but comprehensive book documents the rich cultural past of vernacular building styles, from Irish sod houses to sub-Saharan wattle-and-daub huts and redwoods treehouses. It offers inspiration for home woodworking enthusiasts as well as … Read more
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/2828805 w=400&h=302] The Rural Studio from BluePrint Productions on Vimeo. “The Rural Studio is a design-build architecture studio run by Auburn University which aims to teach students about the social responsibilities of the profession of architecture while also providing safe, well-constructed and inspirational homes and buildings for poor communities in rural west Alabama, part … Read more
“The Barefoot Architect, in its evolution, came out a stunner. Not only in looks, but also in both usefulness and practicality in today’s world. We didn’t anticipate the timing, but the green movement matured as this book was being produced and it’s a perfect intersection. At a glance, the book may appear to be about … Read more
Stephen and Nena MacDonald’s post and beam strawbale house in Gila, New Mexico that was built in 1988-1989. The initial shell was $5/sq. ft. and the finished cost was between $7-$8/sq. ft. – Permaculture.org “Build our house out of straw?” When our neighbor suggested the idea as a solution to our housing problem, both my … Read more
I was browsing Build it Solar.com, one of my favorite websites, and found the Montague Urban Homestead zero energy home pictured above. I was initially attracted to the home design by its simple lines and potential for do-it-yourself owner-builders (the focus audience of our blog). But then I saw the $180,000 price tag and was … Read more
Specifications: Four 16′ interior diameter roundhouses and one 12’ interior bath, total 842 sq. ft. interior, two bedrooms, one bath, Footprint: 50′ x 50′ Description: This three-story, triple roundhouse tower apartment complex is designed to provide affordable housing in urban areas. The towers are primarily earthen construction. Made with earthbag tubes filled with earth and … Read more