Did you know that it takes 18 mature trees to produce one metric ton of paper? The global consumption of paper is around 400 million tons, which means we are cutting 7.2 billion trees every year just to satisfy our need for paper. 7.2 billion trees is around 100,000 square kilometres – or the whole area of...
It rarely gets better than this. Look what I found on Flickr. A very unusual Canadian home made of wood. Forget about those awful plastic sidings, this is how Canada used to be and there are still many gems left there. This project just shows that a wooden house is not necessarily boring. This is actually...
Dry stone walling is one of those old traditional skills that are thought to be slowly dying. As the majority of the traditional building methods are more or less sustainable, we don’t really want them to die. Besides, it is great to keep an old lore alive and pass it on to younger generations. Dry...
Do you have mould on your walls or ceiling? It is actually more dangerous than you may think. Mould is caused by microscopic fungi that develop colonies on damp surfaces.
The main reason for dampness and mould to occur is improperly built and insulated houses. Either the foundation hasn’t been laid...
Kathleen O’Donnel, an architect of Chicago, USA, revealed her experiences using a wind turbine to power her family home conversion. She went for something new and unexpected – forget about the usual blades, this one – an 8-foot tall helical-blade generator. It is allegedly much more...
Having a tranquil garden is a must for every house that has any size plot around it. A garden should become a place where you can unwind after a hectic day, top up your energy and find inspiration. Even if it is just a small plot, go out there with a spade and a hack and create an eco-garden. Paving the...
