Researchers have turned old, unwanted mattresses into safe and sustainable building insulation using fungi. Mattresses are one of the hardest household items to recycle, since they are durable, bulky, and often end up in landfill. The team grew a common fungus together with shredded mattress foam to create a new material that is solid and … Read more
Trash artist Thomas Dambo has transformed an old farm into a whimsical homestead for his family and the dozens of makers who work alongside him. Just outside Copenhagen, is this imaginative village where nearly every structure, pathway, and piece of furniture is crafted from other people’s discarded materials. From pallet wood to old polycarbonate metro … Read more
In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Colombia’s coffee region. Concrete buildings collapsed. Brick houses turned to rubble. Bamboo constructions stood firm. The phenomenon was so perplexing to Colombian engineers that, in the following years, the country did what no other had done before: it included bamboo in its national seismic code as an official … Read more
A farmhouse in Madhya Pradesh, India is situated among winding rows of mango trees. The 1,800-square-foot space is constructed using the ancient technique of rammed earth – a building tradition that has nearly been forgotten in the region. Aptly named ‘Fragrance of Earth’, the farmhouse is as much a cultural project as it is an … Read more
The Hartman Castle was built by Annie and Alonzo Hartman, who were some of Gunnison, Colorado’s earliest white settlers. The building, which is more than a century old, is now considered one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places. Even though much of the original structure is still intact, it hasn’t been maintained. It needs a new … Read more
A wall in Theopetra Cave in Greece was built during the Last Glacial Maximum, a period of extreme cold when much of Europe was blanketed in ice. Researchers believe early humans constructed it to partially seal the cave’s entrance, blocking freezing winds. Theopetra Cave offers a continuous archaeological record spanning 130,000 years, making it one … Read more