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Case Study: East and West House

East House and West House are two single-family dwellings, each roughly 70m2 in floor area with an additional semi-enclosed porch area of a further 70m2. They are located in a small village in eastern Cantabria. They were built during 2015-18, with a low cost and low environmental impact, using principally local and natural materials and volunteer labour. Both houses have a timber frame built with locally sourced eucalyptus timber, harvested less than 2km from the… Read More »Case Study: East and West House

Earth as a Building Material

Of all natural building materials, probably the most common, but one that is frequently overlooked, is earth. For most of human history, earth has been the most widespread building material in the world. It’s been estimated that between one-third and one-half of all human beings live in houses built out of earth.     Earth has been used to build everything from humble huts to massive structures like the famous earth mosque of Djenné in… Read More »Earth as a Building Material

Introduction to Natural and Recycled Building Materials

More sustainable construction materials include those obtained from natural sources, such as the rammed-earth walls of this building in Nepal (above), as well as recycled materials, like the doors used to clad this 10-storey block in South Korea. Well into the twentieth century, the vast majority of buildings in the world continued to be built by hand using mainly natural materials obtained locally, such as earth, stone, wood, and grass. It wasn’t until the late… Read More »Introduction to Natural and Recycled Building Materials

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