A practical and inspiring book about constructing new buildings with surplus materials.

Check out the superuse book.

“Inhabitat.com is a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.”

Cool ideas for our house in the architecture section.

(thanks Lauren

My friend Søren told me about Shelter Publications and has shown me a few of their books. Their book “Shelter” is a classic, with many beautifully illustrated ways of building a home or a shelter. From many cultures. Check it out for inspiration: shelterpub

Søren has built his own very sustainable Straw Bale House: halmhus
He also owns two Mongolian Yourts and two few circus wagons. Among other interesting things. When I saw the Yourts I instantly thought of you

Love
Thomas

The technology and designs developed at Cal-Earth are inspired by timeless principles in architecture: the universal natural elements, the arch and its derivatives of the vault, dome, and apse; sustainable energy, natural geometry and symmetry of structure, the unity of tension and compression.

This building system focuses on housing as a basic human right, and on the economic empowerment of people by participating in creating their own homes and communities, while at the same time addressing today’s global needs: preserving natural resources and energy, halting deforestation, slowing pollution and global warming, promoting health, healing communities and cultures shattered by globalization, sheltering the homeless and refugees.

Cal-Earth houses and infrastructure are constructed by unskilled labor, using available on-site earthen material, local supplies of sandbags and barbed wire, and usually a locally produced stabilizer (lime, cement, or asphalt). Hands-on team work molds the solutions for sustainable development while the flexibility of plan and finishes allows the integration of indigenous, traditional forms, patterns, and colors.

Cal-Earth’s next educational plan is a Distance Learning Program to be broadcast directly from the institute to universities, NGO’s and disaster struck areas in need of shelter around the world, in a hands-on, live, interactive format.
http://calearth.org/about/about-cal-earth.html

Cal-Earth believes that the whole family should be able to build together, men and women, from grandma to the youngest child. As such, we have spent many years researching hands-on how to make the process simpler and easier. There should be no heavy lifting or backaches, no expensive equipment, and a flexible and fast construction. The bags are filled in place on the wall using small pots like coffee cans, or even kitchen utensils. You can build alone or as a group.
http://calearth.org/building-designs/what-is-superadobe.html

Check out some gorgeous images here:
http://calearth.org/galleries/eco-dome.html
http://calearth.org/galleries/earth-one.html
http://calearth.org/galleries/emergency-shelter-village.html
http://calearth.org/galleries/rumi-dome.html

Some of the ideas I got was combining this approach Biomimicry with learning journeys to Colombia with Nature experiences focussed at improving a specific need and at the same time building the inner capacity and leadership in the participants to be better at bringing these new ideas forward.

Janine Benyus has started this website called Ask nature, where the idea is to gather a database of a large number of design achivements in nature, and when you are designing something yourself you can ask nature how it does.

Check out: www.asknature.org

So what does a home look like according to nature?… hmmm…

Janine Benyus has a message for inventors: When solving a design problem, look to nature first. There you’ll find inspired designs for making things waterproof, aerodynamic, solar-powered and more. Here she reveals dozens of new products that take their cue from nature with spectacular results.

“El sistema de drenaje que utilizamos se hace con material reciclado. Para el sustrato donde se pone la capa verde acudimos a escoria de acero o desechos de demolición como ladrillo o bloque inutilizado. Además, para el soporte del material vegetal usamos, a cambio de tierra negra, compostaje fruto de la recolección o reutilización de desechos orgánicos que se producen en la plaza de abastos o incluso en las propias cocinas de cualquier hogar” – RICARDO ANDRÉS IBÁÑEZ GUTIÉRREZ -  maestria en construccion y arquitectura UNAL.

Ver el articulo completo sobre techos verdes >>>

Live in harmony with the nature,
Learn from the nature, and
Recover the health in the nature.

Konohana Family is an organic agricultural community which is almost 100% self-sustained, located at the foothill of Mt. Fuji, living as a big family of 47 people (as of November, 2007). There are 11 children, 4 teenagers and 32 adults.

In 1994, the original 20 members moved to Fujinomiya city, Shizuoka Prefecture, hoping to live together and help each other beyond the generation gap and the family relationship. We founded
“Konohana Nouen (Farm)”, that is the original form of Konohana Family. The name of “Konohana” comes from the Goddess of Mt. Fuji, “Konohana sakuya hime no mikoto”.

Since the foundation, the Family has established an original life style based on the spirit of harmony. Everyone plays a great role in the community where he or she can make the most of his or her ability.
Following a natural flow of energy, each member works for the good of the whole group, making sure that what needs to be done is done.

Download a PDF file with the full story of the konohana family:

Konohana family

And some of their views on Sustainable Organic Agriculture, New Harmonious Society, Natural Therapy Program etc.

If you want to practice your japanese here is their website.

Gaviotas is a village of about 200 people in Colombia, South America. For three decades, Gaviotans – peasants, scientists, artists, and former street kids – have struggled to build an oasis of imagination and sustainability in the remote, barren savannas of eastern Colombia, an area ravaged by political terror. They have planted millions of trees, thus regenerating an indigenous rainforest. They farm organically and use wind and solar power. Every family enjoys free housing, community meals, and schooling. There are no weapons, no police, no jail. There is no mayor.

The United Nations named the village a model of sustainable development. Gabriel Garcia Marquez has called founder Paolo Lugari the “inventor of the world.”

Visit Gaviota’s website en inglés

A 25 minutes video about Gaviotas y Paolo lugari (en inglés).

It is an concept that allows you to build a house completely off grid – where you are completely selfsustained with heating, water, sewage, energy and home production of produce. It is build from sustainable recycled materials.