Why a lack of porosity in homes and urbanism is making people sick (studies) by Nicolás Boullosa on May 1, 2024 We like to think of ourselves as independent entities capable of forging our own paths. But we are born into …
Little things that count: home materials, gardening, compost by Nicolás Boullosa on December 7, 2023 We know that our lack of patience as a civilization has reached its apex when companies invest their best engineering …
SimCity-like arcologies as self-sustaining living ecosystems by Nicolás Boullosa on January 19, 2022 When we recently visited the courtyard of 25 Verde, the condominium of 63 wooden-shingle-clad apartments on a five-story, corten steel …
Non-toxic, no-VOC paint for any wall (+ finishing plasters) by Kirsten Dirksen on December 7, 2010 Michael G. Smith has spent the past couple of decades using natural materials to build all parts of a home, …
Avoid VOC: homemade natural paint (clay and milk) by Kirsten Dirksen on December 7, 2010 Paints are one of the biggest sources of VOCs- Volatile Organic Compounds- inside the home and their synthetic ingredients have …
A no-VOC earth plaster for a breathable, bioclimatic home by Kirsten Dirksen on November 29, 2010 Modern homes are often built so air-tight to provide good insulation that they don’t allow for fresh air to enter. …
Wall nature: a vertical planter with watering system by Kirsten Dirksen on November 10, 2010 If you live in the city and you’re trying to grow your own __ herbs/vegetables/flowers, you may be limited by …
Natural building: water-resistant earthen floors don’t off-gas by Kirsten Dirksen on November 3, 2010 Earthen floors are growing in popularity not simply because they forgo non-renewable resources, but because they have an aesthetic appeal …
Earth-built passive solar home: cob (south), strawbale (north) by Kirsten Dirksen on October 18, 2010 Passive solar design dates back over 2 and a half millennia to the ancient Greeks and Chinese; it not only …
Natural buildings don’t melt, no matter how rainy it gets by Kirsten Dirksen on October 14, 2010 With all the videos I’ve done on earth buildings (like the tiny cob cottage in North Carolina or the mudbrick …
