The Groundhouse is an earth-sheltered house built in Brittany by Daren Howarth and his partner in 2009. It is designed to be aligned with natural systems. The aim was to build a home based on the most sustainable design, systems and materials. They have a great website with lots of pictures of the build and some great … Continue reading Groundhouse, France
Building an Earthship
Having built an eco-house myself I thought I had a basic grasp of how an eco-building works and why. However, I have since realised that I had only just begun to understand the principles of eco-building and how they work with each other. Two weeks ago I attended a training course run by Brighton Permaculture Association on 'An Introduction to Self-Building … Continue reading Building an Earthship
Tinkers Bubble, Somerset
Tinkers Bubble in Somerset is a long standing eco-community. Established in 1994 near Little Norton, they manage 40 acres without the use of fossil fuels or internal combustion engines; "the aim of the community's 16 residents is to derive their livelihoods from the sustainable management of the land and its resources" (Laughton, 2008, p.145) and … Continue reading Tinkers Bubble, Somerset
Abundant Earth, County Durham
Abundant Earth is a Community Supported Agricultural Scheme in Broompark, County Durham. They supply seasonal organic vegetables through a vegetable box scheme to the local area. It is run as a workers co-operative and supported by the Soil Association. They have recently started providing eggs from their red hens. Although they do not live on site … Continue reading Abundant Earth, County Durham
Lammas, Wales
In early April I visited Lammas (www.lammas.org.uk) in Pembrokeshire to catch up with their progress since they were awarded planning permission for 9 smallholdings and homes in August 2009. Building is quickly progressing on site - there is an almost complete house on plot 7, a straw bale round house on plot 8 and a timber-frame … Continue reading Lammas, Wales
ECO-HOMES + COMMUNITIES 