by Peter McIntosh | Aug 9, 2017 | Anita Venter, Lebone Village Arts and Culture Centre, Long Way Home, Natural building, Natural building methods, Q&A, Qala Phelang Tala, Shack replacement, Start Living Green, Sustainable human settlements, Uncategorized
In honour of women’s day we asked Anita Venter a few questions about her grassroots development initiative using sustainable building methods in Bloemfontein. We have great admiration for the shack replacement initiative and what she has done to empower her...
by Peter McIntosh | Dec 23, 2016 | Adobe, Alternative energy, Clay, Cob, Compressed Earth Brick (CEB), Earth testing, Earth theory, Events, Light Earth, Local materials, Natural building, Natural building course, Natural plasters, Passive Solar Design, Peter McIntosh, Rammed Earth, Solar energy, Strawbale, Sustainable building, Thermal mass, Uncategorized
Attend our natural building course this year and learn some essential practical skills to help you on your way to living the off-grid dream. We are thrilled to announce that both our courses will be held at Jakkalskloof bio-dynamic training farm in Swellendam this...
by Peter McIntosh | Nov 17, 2016 | Adobe, African Vernacular Architecture, Alternative building, Alternative energy, Compressed Earth Brick (CEB), Design competition, Heritage, Interview, Living off-grid, Local materials, Mud brick, Natural building, Natural building methods, Passive Solar Design, Q&A, Rammed Earth, Sustainable building, Sustainable human settlements, Thermal performance, Uncategorized
We catch up with Paul Marais about his award-winning off grid, rammed earth house in Maun, Botswana. First off, congratulations on winning the Afrisam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture + Innovation for Sustainable Product/Technology for your design of the rammed...
by Peter McIntosh | Aug 9, 2016 | Alternative energy, Cob, Interview, Living Sustainably, Local materials, Natural building, Permaculture, Q&A, Sustainable building, Uncategorized, Wattle and Daub
In the first of our series of Q&As with pioneers of natural and sustainable building in South Africa and beyond, we caught up with Jill Hogan in honour of Women’s day in South Africa. How did you first get involved in natural building? In the early...
by Peter McIntosh | May 23, 2016 | Guest post, Local materials, Natural building, Natural building methods, Rammed Earth, Sustainable building, Uncategorized
Rammed earth construction in South Africa has generally been stigmatised as a substandard and primitive building construction method reserved ‘for the poor’. Yet it is now gaining popularity for community social projects, as well as among wealthier clients. By Mary...
by Peter McIntosh | May 11, 2016 | Events, Natural building course, Uncategorized
Take the first steps to a sustainable future by attending our second and final natural building course for 2016. You’ll learn hands-on practical skills and be empowered to be successful and make rational choices whatever the given situation. We are happy to...
