by Peter McIntosh | Feb 23, 2017 | Alternative building, Early Childhood Development centre, Guest post, Projects
In Delft, an impoverished township on the outskirts of the Cape Flats, local government is changing its approach to building early childhood development centres (ECDs) with a pioneering project showcasing a hybrid of natural building methods and up-cycled waste...
by Peter McIntosh | Sep 11, 2015 | Natural Building Materials & Tecnhiques, Passive Solar Design
Discover how to design an energy-efficient home that naturally stays warm in winter, cool in summer, and produces more energy than it consumes. Passive solar design is the starting point of sustainable building as it uses the energy provided by the sun and stored in...
by Peter McIntosh | Jun 16, 2015 | African Vernacular Architecture, Guest post, Indigenous Architectural Knowledge, Natural Building Materials & Techniques
The first thing that must be understood about African vernacular architecture is the great diversity that exists with both materials and techniques. People build according to climate but more importantly, with what materials are available locally.
by Franz Muhl | Apr 5, 2015 | Adobe, Clay, Cob, Franz Muhl, Living Sustainably, Local materials, Mud brick, Natural building, Natural building course, Natural plasters, Owner-builder journey, Peter McIntosh, Reclaimed materials, Sand, Sustainable building, Sustainable human settlements
In this edition of the Owner-builder journey, Franz Muhl writes about a mud brick addition to his Scarborough home: “Let me build a home from fertile materials that is beautiful and healthy to live in, have a very low footprint and would grow a forest if you...
by Peter McIntosh | Dec 7, 2014 | Adobe, Alternative building, Amanda de Gouveia, Dance like an elephant, Earth testing, Earth theory, Events, Heritage, Hermie Delport, Indigenous Architectural Knowledge, Laurie Simpson, Lebone Village Arts and Culture Centre, Lesley Freedman, Local materials, Malcolm Worby, Natural building, Natural building course, Natural building methods, Natural mortar mixes, Peter McIntosh, Qala Phelang Tala, Shack replacement, Start Living Green, Sustainable building
… and 2014 is no different. It is with pride and joy that we look back on the successes and new connections made during 2014. We launched our blog in March and have had over 5000 visits from people in 98 countries! The blog contributions included knowledge...
