Refuge in Malalcahuello
Malalcahuello Chile - mc2 Arquitectos Built area: 50 m2 Construction materials: Pine and glass Year Built: 2013 A wall of glass and the soft…
Paint yourself some free energy. Take the titanium oxide that is already in most paints, throw in a little molybdenum-sulphide and humidity and drive away in your hydrogen powered car!
Paint your house solar!
We wrote some years back about early research into solar paints. At that time, the research was aimed at making the paint act as photo-electric collectors in the same way…
Bamboo simplicity – Forest for a Moon Dazzler
Guanacaste, Costa Rica – Ben Gracia Saxe Built: 2010 Bamboo is an extraordinarily versatile material. It’s strong, flexible, lightweight, totally renewable and, potentially very long lasting even when in…
Bamboo flooring has many advantages to offer a homeowner
Seven solid reasons for using bamboo flooring
Bamboo flooring is becoming an increasingly popular option in new homes and in renovations. Before deciding whether to install a bamboo floor , it's important that you know and understand the…
Each corbelled bamboo beam member is bolted to the column which helps achieve a rigid frame
Look… No Triangles!
By Guest Blogger Munir Vahanvati The use of triangles is one of the fundamental principles for bamboo construction which is commonly used in most bamboo structures for stability and rigidity.…
Solar panels work on cloudy days in the same way that you can get sunburn through cloud.
Are solar myths stopping you from saving big money?
This article was originally written in March 2012. It was last updated on the 16th of March, 2017. If you’re struggling with skyrocketing energy bills, you’re in good company. In…
Being prepared is the key to a successful owner-build project
The Owner-Builder’s Sanity Saving Checklist!
The two most daunting questions in the minds of first time owner builders are: What are the steps or process I need to follow to build a house as an…
Attitude is 90% of the game so make sure yours is right before starting your owner-built project.
Seven Tips for Successful Owner-Building
We choose to owner-build for many and varied reasons. Sometimes, it’s because we have a limited budget and want to save as much as possible. Other times it’s because we…
One with the birds
Badaling China - Penda Design HouseConcept onlyBadaling is a forested mountain area about 100 kilometres from Beijing. It is one of the main sites for viewing and walking The Great…
Great Wall Bamboo House
Commune by the Great Wall Near Biejing China - Kengo Kuma and Associates Year built: 2002 Built area: 529 m2 (5,713 sq. ft.) The Bamboo Wall…
Bamboo Courtyard Teahouse
ShiQiao, Yangzhou China - World Consulting & Design (HWCD) Building Area: 400m2 Completed: May 2012 Yangzhou is a city located to the north-west of Shanghai. It is home to Huaiyang-style…
Bamboo Brilliance...
Bamboo Brilliance – Wind and Water Cafe
Vietnam - Vo Trong Nghia Vietnam has a long tradition of bamboo construction. When local architects, Vo Trong Nghia were briefed to design a bar come meeting place, bamboo seemed…
The Green School of Bali
The Green School of Bali
Bali, Indonesia - John and Cynthia Hardy Builders: PT Bambu Rainforests continue to disappear at an alarming rate. Environmentalists and designers, John and Cynthia Hardy have experienced the loss and degradation first…
The Green Village
Bali, Indonesia - PT Bambu Built area: 18,700 m2 (201,285 sq. ft) Year built: 2010 Photography: Courtesy of Bambu Indah Collection The infinite joy of bamboo Some time back we showed…
The world is full of owner-builders
Building Socially
You might be surprised to know that around 66,000 owner-builder licenses were issued in Australia last year. Add the many tens of thousands of DIYer’s and renovators who don’t require…