Sustainability and the environmental impact of construction are two topics that have become increasingly important in recent years and there’s no reason why self-builders can’t do their bit to help. If you are in the early stages of designing and planning your own property, take a look at these eco-friendly building materials and techniques that […]
Tag Archives | eco friendly building
Alternative living: going underground – the Dune House
Architect William Morgan’s goggle-eyed Dune House was created back in the mid 1970′s. The two, side-by-side, duplex apartments were built right into the Atlantic Beach, Florida dune using swimming pool technology – a gunite-concrete shell anchored to a cast concrete floor. The structure features a vintage green roof that keeps the two apartments a very […]
Why Build With Bamboo?
Tour bamboo living homes in Hawaii, walk through a bamboo forest, 3 reasons for choosing a bamboo house, see models, styles, finishes, hear what homeowners say. Bamboo is a type of grass that grows without much need for irrigation or fertilizer. Bamboo has hundreds of uses and its fibre can even be made into high […]
DIY Trombe Wall made from River Rock and Wire
While researching The Trombe Wall: Low Tech Solar Design Makes A Comeback I stumbled over the work of DesignBuildBLUFF, the principal mission of which is to “design and build safe, sustainable off-grid homes for needy families living on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation in the four corners region located just outside of Bluff, UT. “ […]
Natural Building Materials
The materials common to many types of natural building are clay and sand. When mixed with water and, usually, straw or other fibre, the mixture is known as cob or adobe. Other materials commonly used in natural building are: earth, wood, cordwood, timber frame, straw and rock. A wide variety of reused or recycled materials […]
