Discussing all things to do with construction from sustainable building materials, alternative construction methods and hedonistic sustainability.
Sustainable Grass Bamboo are the fastest growing plants on earth. They utilise unique rhizome (underground stems) to self-multiply. This allows some species of bamboo to grow up to 0.91m or 3 feet in one day. Due to its fast growth, bamboo is a useful construction material. Engineered bamboo is created from the laminated and treated…
Sustainable Waste Management Amager Bakke, also known as CopenHill, brings a sustainable waste management solution to the doorstep of city living. CopenHill is the cleanest waste-to-energy power plant in the world, on the industrial waterfront of Amager, Copenhagen, Denmark. Amager is Denmark’s most densely populated island. The Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant covers 41,000m² and rises to…
Circuits and Conductive Materials Electrical and electronics are complicated subjects to grasp and implement for a majority of people. The reason even self-build home projects always recommend a qualified electrician. Most of us don’t know how the light comes on, we just know how to press the light switch. I enjoy a good equation and…
A modern modular take on flat-pack construction, Ten Fold Engineering has an innovative design that makes flat-pack housing and construction units desirable and luxurious. The buildings can adapt to need. Therefore, allow a broad range of purpose for a smaller amount of space. The opening and closing movement are powerless. The transition takes place via…
Location, Location, Location… Taipei 101 is the tallest sustainable skyscraper in the world, standing at 508m (1,667 ft) and 101 floors. When completed in 2004, this was the tallest building in the world until 2010 when the Burj Khalifa in Dubai surpassed it. The Taipei 101 was originally uncertified as a sustainable build. However, the architectural,…
Earthship Homes use approximately 45 per cent recycled materials. Old tyres, glass bottles and drinks cans are all essential construction materials. Michael Reynolds the inventor and owner of Earthships Biotecture describes the buildings as vessels. “These vessels encounter the phenomena of the earth, to provide sustenance for people.” These vessels do everything for themselves, producing…
Cubo modular bamboo housing is the brainchild of Earl Patrick Forlales. Manila, Philippines has a housing problem similar to many other cities around the world. Rapid urbanisation has caused people to migrate from their provinces to the city. Forlales’ vision is a Philippines without slums. Inspired by the traditional “Bahay Kubo”, he aims to provide a…
LignoLoc compacted beech wooden nails are a sustainable alternative to glue and metal nails. They consists of a magazine of nails, which can be used for industrial or ecological construction projects. The hardness (tensile strength) of these wooden nails are comparable to aluminium nails. Therefore it is possible to drive the nails in with a hammer,…
The Reppie Waste to Energy plant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is the first Waste to Energy plant in Africa, completed in February 2018. Reppie Waste-to-Energy Facility. Image: Stuartkribki | CC BY-SA 4.0. | Wikimedia. Reppie is locally known as Koshe (Amharic for dirty). The Koshe dump site in the southeastern part of Addis Ababa and is…
The Makoko Floating School was an idea inspired by the bustling water community of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria. Kunlé Adeyemi completed the pilot project in March 2013. Kunlé and his team of architects and designers at NLÉ have collaborated with various partners around the world. From Venice in Italy, Bruges in Belgium and Chengdu in…
DFAB House shows the potential of digital fabrication. Through the brilliant collaboration between architecture, construction, and science. DFAB House is the first house of its kind. Designed, planned and built, using digital processes.
This off-grid tiny home on wheels generates its own solar power. They collect and store rainwater. Solar water heating is also available. Composts from human waste. Other organic wastes generate biogas for cooking.