Pine Ridge Community Garden Fundraiser

“Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is a food desert, where many tribal members still do not have access to fresh produce and a nutritious diet. The Federal Commodity Foods Program serves food high in fat, sugar, and preservatives, causing Oglala Lakota people to suffer from epidemic levels of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Average life expectancy … Read more

Malawi Vernacular Architecture

Malawi vernacular architecture
Malawi vernacular architecture

“Hello.. my name is Jon (Twingi) Sojkowski, I am a registered architect and I have a passion for African vernacular architecture. I recently (Sept. 2014) traveled to Malawi to document the vernacular architecture in the country. For 3 weeks, me and my Malawian team traveled the entire country, stopping at 300+ villages and homesteads to interview people on their traditional structures and to take pictures and video. The end result is the web site: Malawi Architecture.com

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Golden Bamboo Ceilings

Golden or yellow bamboo in the round makes a very attractive ceiling.
Golden or yellow bamboo in the round makes a very attractive ceiling.

I posted a photo a while back about the new roofing tile on our earthbag roundhouse. The exterior looks great, and the roofing tile won’t take any maintenance for 20-30 years. But like I said in that blog post the ceiling is unfinished. The thatch roof that was on it before made a gorgeous ceiling, but the upkeep was too much since thatch here only lasts about three years. It occurred to me that bamboo would look really good on the ceiling. One option is golden or yellow bamboo as shown in these images.

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15 Ancient House Designs That You Can Build Really Cheap or Free

15 Ancient House Designs That You Can Build Really Cheap or Free
15 Ancient House Designs That You Can Build Really Cheap or Free

“How would your life change if you never had to pay rent or interest on a mortgage again? I bet it would take a significant weight off your shoulders. It sure would for me.

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No Need for AC in Earthbag Houses

Reader comment: “I love your designs! I do have a question:

We live in Tucson. Metropolitan area (but not TOO metropolitan) hot most days, hot most nights because the buildings and concrete absorb the heat and release it. It can get cold in the winter (though not much below freezing), but the main issue is the heat. What if we took one of these earthbag designs and just buried it?

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