La Casa Vergara’s uncommon dome shapes may captivate the eye, but what’s underneath is most impressive. The Bogota home, built by architect Jose Andres Vallejo, is made from “earth bags,” or tubular ...

You don’t need to be named Frodo Baggins or live in The Shire to enjoy the benefits of an earth-sheltered home. Earth-sheltered homes, aka underground or subterranean homes, are eco-friendly and ...

Imagine you arrive at a hillside retreat in the Pacific Northwest right when the evening fog starts to move in. You touch the walls and they’re cool. The colors ...

An alternative to standard concrete, rammed earth is a more sustainable construction method that's growing in popularity.

Named after the way light bounces off of its angled walls and ceilings, Dancing Light is an award-winning dwelling nestled in the desert town of Paradise Valley, Arizona. Local architecture practice ...

Growing up, Pete Bissonette always wanted to live in a bus or a cave. The latter dream came true, at least in a sense. Bissonette has one of the about 650 homes Mankato-based Earth Sheltered ...

What is passive solar energy, and how can passive solar be incorporated into energy efficient home designs? A natural builder shares tips on building an energy-efficient home. To me, the art of ...

The following post is an excerpt fromBuilders of the Pacific Coast(Shelter Publications, 2008) by long-time Mother Earth News contributor Lloyd Kahn. A continuation of Kahn’s journeys into the ...