Biochar Helps Lime-Based Building Materials Capture More Carbon While Gaining Strength

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A carefully optimized dose of fine biochar improves both carbon dioxide uptake and compressive strength in natural hydraulic lime, offering a promising low-carbon material for historic building restoration and sustainable construction. Natural hydraulic lime has been used for centuries in masonry and restoration because it is compatible with traditional building materials and can absorb carbon … Read more

Rammed Earth House in the U.K.

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On the site of a former brickworks in rural Wiltshire, Tuckey Design Studio has completed the construction of a new residential project crafted from rammed earth, which is a compacted mixture of clay, sand and gravel used to form solid walls, resulting in highly durable, energy-efficient structures. The concept for Rammed Earth House emerged from the … Read more

The Women’s Natural Building Collective in Portugal

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The Women’s Natural Building Collective in Portugal is run by a core group of experienced natural builders. They organize workshops for people to learn how to build ecological houses with local natural materials like earth, straw and timber. They discovered that there was something undeniably magical about the way they work and communicate together when … Read more

50 Years of Off-Grid Living in the California Redwoods

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In 1968, Charles Bello and his wife, Vanna Rae, moved onto 240 acres of redwood forest looking to live a simpler life off the land. They had spent their savings to purchase the land so they got to work building their home themselves. Their first structure was a panelized A-frame that they erected in 5 … Read more

Saudi Arabia Returns to Earthen Materials for Building

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Clay has shaped Saudi Arabia’s architecture for centuries. Now, as the Kingdom’s construction boom accelerates, the ancient material is making a comeback as developers seek healthier, lower-carbon building finishes. The renewed interest reflects a broader shift in Saudi Arabia’s construction sector, where sustainability has become as important as speed and scale. From the restoration of … Read more

A Unique Earth-Bermed House in Cape Cod

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Karie Sullivan lives in an earth-berm house, burrowed into the ground on three sides. The front is clad in stained wood clapboard with white-trimmed windows with a sun-drenched southern exposure. The house was built in 1981 and was influenced by Malcolm Wells, a well-known architect who championed earth-sheltered buildings. Wells was not involved in the … Read more