When traditional artisans are called to build a house with a twist of modernity the result can only be one: an outstanding example of how to merge local wisdom with contemporary values. Bapagrama Stone House incarnates this rare achievement in Bangalore, India. A single story building with a total floor area of 111sqm captures our attention for its eloquent relation with the surrounding rural context. Continue reading →

In Zoermeer, Netherlands there’s a modern house that reinvents the traditional concept of haystack by adopting its qualities to a different type of program. Living on the Edge represents a real inhabitable haystack, where white stucco, wood and stacked hay layers compose its body. Amazing, right? Continue reading →

This is one of the most interesting architectural projects I have ever seen. It’s called Truffle – a space within a stone that sits on the ground. It consists of hay bales, earth, and concrete, uniquely combined.

The result is a small, amorphous shelter that blends seamlessly with its natural environment. Sounds interesting, right?! Keep on reading to see the unique building process of Truffle, created by Spanish Ensamble Studio. Continue reading →

Cobworks, led by Patrick Hennebery and Tracy Calvert, offer workshops on how to build sustainable earth and cob houses by using unprocessed, natural and local materials such as sand, clay, straw and water. Continue reading →

This charming home lies in the northern Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York – A fairytale stone house with a round door, swooping peaked slate roof and steeple! It was hand crafted by Clark Sanders, a veterinarian/artist who thinks of houses as sculptures you can live in, and is famous for his straw-bale houses. Continue reading →

This new green home by North Carolina Push Design is the first hemp house in the United States. Hemp is a plant from the cannabis family – yup, another great feature of this wonderful plant – which is used to build carbon-neutral homes. Continue reading →

UK-based Dan Brill Architects designed a contemporary extension to this lovely Edwardian house on the outskirts of Winchester. I love the way the new structure stands in contrast to the original home, making a clear distinction between the old and new. Continue reading →

Eden is a straw bale home and office located in Wilmington, Vermont. Designed by LineSync Architecture, this two storey house is based on a simple post frame structure of heavy timbers wrapped with straw bale, offering higher insulation and a more free and organic home design. Continue reading →

Located in New Mexico, this small house (less than 800 sq. ft.) generates all of its own electricity. By the use of green construction materials this compact home incorporates passive solar heating and cooling, where straw bale exterior walls insulate and interior adobe thermal mass walls absorb heat. Continue reading →

Cob houses, or earth homes in general, are so attuned to their surroundings, they are the ultimate expression of ecological design. With recent rises in lumber prices and increasing interest in natural and environmentally safe building practices, cob is enjoying a renaissance. Continue reading →