For decades, there has been an underlying tension between historic preservation and environmental design: the former seeking to protect our history and culture, typically by applying traditional methods of construction and conservation to familiar buildings from the past; the latter trying to protect human health and natural habitat and promote … Read more
Building your own small cabin or micro-house is easy. Using space-saving techniques taking advantage of shelves, lofts, niches and other space-saving techniques will allow you to reduce total floor space and will provide your living with space with functional character. Also, with the addition of outbuildings, such as a cob … Read more
I live in a post-World War II home constructed in 1948. It is relatively simple and small compared to modern American standards. It is 1,700 square feet and perfect for our family of four. Sustainable Homes My mother lives in a 7,000 square ginormous home with six bedrooms, a four … Read more
If you have a backyard covered in grass, it may look a little boring. While large, grassy yards were once a sign of opulence and wealth, they’ve become something of a suburban paradigm. While large, grassy areas are fun to run around in, or entertain on, adding some biodiversity and … Read more
With environmental education and awareness came the need for more eco-friendly and sustainable building methods. It called for people to think out of the box and come up with what we are able to implement today. Alternative building methods have become more popular due to their often lower cost, novelty, … Read more
We are starting to become more aware of our environment and the impact our daily lives has on it. People say that they will change their ways, but when push comes to shove, no one really goes through with this promise. The time to act is now and making changes … Read more
With the cost of energy steadily rising every day, we tend to invest in electric appliances that are cost efficient. These are usually products that comply with Energy Star requirements. Using these types of products, we are assured that costs will be kept down. While using less energy, the impact … Read more
To make yogurt, you’ll need milk. Whatever the amount of milk you use will be the amount of yogurt it yields. For this recipe, we’ll use a half gallon. You’ll also need some store-bought yogurt with active cultures. You’ll also need two pots which can nest within one another, to … Read more
Born in Alexandra on the 23rd of March, 1900, Hassan Fathy passed away in 1989, but not before leaving his mark on the world. Fathy was an architect and the very first Egyptian that did not incorporate western ideologies into his architectural techniques. Instead he dug into the past and … Read more
Canning food is a reliable form of food preservation. By taking the bounty of the fat times, the summer months and converting them into jellies, pickles, sauces, stocks and other products, you can store up a reserve of food for the lean times, winter months when few, if any, crops … Read more