How to build with clay… and community


Oh my, what a story. I spent an hour clicking through his site looking at drawings and watching videos. The story keeps getting better the more you learn. Kéré’s work has depth and quality. He is very inspiring.

“Diébédo Francis Kéré knew exactly what he wanted to do when he got his degree in architecture… He wanted to go home to Gando in Burkina Faso, to help his neighbors reap the benefit of his education. In this charming talk, Kéré shows off some of the beautiful structures he’s helped to build in his small village in the years since then, including an award-winning primary school made from clay by the entire community.”

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Ancient Turkish Domes

Adobe domes, Harran, Turkey
Adobe domes, Harran, Turkey

“Harran is famous for its traditional ‘beehive’ adobe houses, constructed entirely without wood. The design of these makes them cool inside (essential in this part of the world) and is thought to have been unchanged for at least 3,000 years. Some were still in use as dwellings until the 1980s. However, those remaining today are strictly tourist exhibits, while most of Harran’s population lives in a newly built small village about 2 kilometres away from the main site.”

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Lessons Learned In The Garden

“I love to spend time working the living earth. There is joy to be found in coaxing life from seeds and nourishing that life to bring beauty to our home and food to our table. When I was young my parents believed that boys who were busy working were also boys who would have little … Read more

Happy 6th Anniversary

It’s been another great year. Lots of good things happening. It’s been particularly exciting for me to see our homestead take shape so quickly. We’re on course to finish everything in one year. And it’s been another record breaking year for blog readership. There’s been a steady increase in viewership month by month. A big … Read more