Architect Savin J. Couelle was featured in the book Handmade Houses: A Century of Earth-Friendly House Design.
natural building
Floating Gardens
“Bangladesh faces severe problems as a consequence of storms, cyclones and floods. The ancient practice of floating gardens – beds of straw and water hyacinths on which crops are grown – is making a comeback in the face of increased floods.”
Searching for Home Design Ideas Online
I was telling some readers the other day to browse coffee table books on architecture at major bookstores for design inspiration. This is a great way to get lots of ideas.
Back to the Land Movement
“The back-to-the-land movement calls for occupants of real property to grow food from the land on a small-scale basis for themselves or for others, and to perhaps live on the land while doing so.
Self-reliance in LA
“Erik Knutzen and Kelly Coyne have been farming their yard in Los Angeles for over a decade. In addition to a mini orchard and extensive veggie garden, they have all the instruments of an urban homestead: chickens, bees, rainwater capture, DIY greywater, solar fruit preserver, humanure toilet, rocket stove, adobe oven. But they don’t like to talk about sustainability of self-sufficiency, instead they prefer the term self-reliance.
Handmade Houses: A Century of Earth-Friendly House Design
From the Jacket:
“The first comprehensive consideration of the residential design of the back-to-the-land movement, “Handmade Houses: A Century of Earth-Friendly Home Design” exposes the roots of “green” architecture as it travels across North America and to the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, and Australia. From deep in the redwood forests of Big Sur, California, to the craggy, pink-sand beaches of Sardinia, Italy, this book visits houses in which cost-cutting DIY improvisation, eco-consciousness, art, and craft harmoniously converge.