“Dear Owen, I thought I would drop you an email and just let you know our earthbag building in Malawi went very well! I believe it is the only development of its kind in the country. There is a summary of activities at The Mlambe Project website with photos. I am very grateful to you and the website. If there is anything I can do as a thank you- please just ask.”
Jamie
low tech
Ferrocement Vault with Cardboard Backing
Here’s a very low cost vault roof that’s suitable for sheds and developing countries. The cardboard prevents the cement from falling through.
Rammed Earth Technique Developed by Mrinmayee Bangalore
The Rural Housing Knowledge Network featured in yesterday’s blog post is a treasure trove. I doubt most readers will spend an hour or more surfing the sites we profile, so I decided to feature one story on their website.
1 Million Greywater Systems for Brazil
In the North East of Brazil, millions of people battle to grow food around their houses due to toxic grey water from washing and sewage that runs outside. But now a newly designed biowater filtering system has the potential to change all of their lives. The dirty water passes through a filtering system. The filtered water is then clean enough to use to irrigate the land. This is the story of Ulisses dos Santos who has tested out the system for one year. Now he is not only eating better, but also making a profit.”
Modern Seaweed Houses
“Seaweed pillows [knit mesh tubes filled with dried seaweed] were used as cladding for this holiday house on the Danish island of Læsø by architecture studio Vandkunsten and non-profit organisation Realdania Byg.
Commercial Solar Wall Ovens
We’ve previously reported on Barbara Kerr’s solar wall ovens for home use. They’ve been a favorite of mine for over a decade. Yesterday I just came across a larger version of this concept – a commercial size solar wall oven by Gregor Schaper over at Inhabitat.com.