“This property was sold August 2012. To see more of what we make visit Meiners and Lee Studio.
sustainable
The Gender Difference In Eco-Building
“In recent visits to a variety of eco-communities across Britain and to eco-build sites I have realised quite how gendered everything still is, even in places where you might expect a more ‘progressive’ view. There exists a presumption that men like to build and that women like to garden and cook. When I ask people on site whether this is deliberate, conscious, or a problem, the majority have said ‘it is simply the way things are, men are stronger and can do different jobs to women’. But is determining what we are able to do simply a matter of physical prowess, or are other assumptions made in such statements which we need to disentangle a little?
CEDES Straw Bale Demonstration Home
“The state of Sonora recognized that to their south, in the Valle del Yaqui, the area around Ciudad Obregon, they had vast reservoirs of wheat straw that could be utilized for building. With a new governor in place, there was motivation to begin experimenting once again with straw bale buildings and take advantage of what was learned from our Obregon experience. Once we got the project underway, we secured the help of our friend Emiliano Lopez, who was in charge of the Save the Children building as well as the Cuenca Los Ojos ranch building to oversee the construction of this house.
Martin Cubak Earthbag Roundhouse
“This is my earthbag, still under contruction, but I live there with my family for 2 yr. It’s been great, very good insulation with my amish cook stove, in hot summer stays cool. I build it very cheap… I did lime, cement plaster, stucco this yr. And painted it the way they do in europe, throw it on. I did 3 coats, 3rd coat was finish, no cracks! I tried cob plaster , but I did not like it. This feels much more strong…
Crystal Waters Ecovillage
“An introduction to Crystal Waters covering permaculture design, innovative housing design, intentional community living and land restoration. Crystal Waters is situated in rural south east Queensland Australia. Filmed in 2001-2002. This video is the first of several related videos covering Crystal Waters.”
Earthbag Dome Project in Thailand
“Rak Tamachat in Thailand is building a four dome cluster around a central pool designed as a natural pool. This is an ambitious project where you will see the complete build cycle from start to finish. To assist with that they are hiring a Thai work crew to help with the labor so that those who’ve come to learn can focus on learning the techniques involved and not just spend their time filling and tamping (although, there will be plenty of that). Everyone should get to experience setting of foundations, windows, doors, plumbing and electrical, exterior and interior plasters.