The Cape is a residential community located in southern Victoria, Australia that boasts 130 homes that all feature passive solar, solar power and rainwater harvesting, as well as EV charging infrastructure. The residences are purposely designed for year-round comfort, oriented to maximize natural light and ventilation. Strait House (pictured above) is designed for the Australian … Read more
“Sun Shelter” is a 60 sqm (646 sf) tiny house in Ceará, Brazil. The shelter embodies a cozy retreat from the intense Brazilian sun in the rural hinterlands. The construction process involved the use of rammed earth and wattle and daub techniques. A key challenge was preserving the scenic views while mitigating solar exposure, achieved … Read more
The Gulick-Rowell House is a two-story dwelling on the National Register of Historic Places constructed for Christian missionaries nearly 200 years ago in Waimea, Kaua‘i, Hawaii. The house is notable for its New England architecture and use of ōhiʻa lumber and coral limestone blocks cut from offshore reefs by Hawaiian workers, who were paid with … Read more
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science have created a promising new material that can replace natural sand in construction. This development comes as a response to the growing scarcity of sand, a crucial component in building materials. The team is exploring methods to utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from industrial waste gases, treated with … Read more
In Chonburi, Thailand, architect Peeraya Suphasidh tried using the ancient technique of rammed earth, thinking that the local building industry could learn something of value. It has generally been disregarded for its labor intensive and time-consuming nature. In finding the right material composition that would be suitable for the tropical climate with high humidity and … Read more
Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo curated a major exhibition in the United Arab Emirates titled “The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability.” She wanted to look at how regions such as Africa are able to function with scarce resources. “I think ultimately the big elephant in the room for most of us is climate change,” … Read more