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I’m a strong supporter in real solutions.  In every aspect of our lives, the natural environment continually surprises me with its resilience and persistence.  The more our society pollutes, the more I search for the natural component that’s ready to step to the plate and heal the wounds inflicted by so many unconscious decisions. The…

In Ancient Building Principles, we discussed the building principles of annualized geo solar, thermal diffusivity, and thermal mass; and how ancient buildings, such as the Navajo’s Hogan and the Roman’s hypocausts, utilized these building principles. In this post, I’ll examine key aspects of building today, and why few builders incorporate these time tested building principles….

With the recent flooding throughout the Americas these last few months, I thought to address a little known, but extremely important, forgotten grass: bamboo. Bamboo is an arborescent (treelike) grass belonging to the family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae.  The family Poaceae, true grasses, is thought to comprise 20% of the known vegetation covering the Earth.[1]  Grasses…

In Ancient Building Principles, I discussed how the Romans and Native Americans used thermal mass and flow channels to heat and cool Roman bath houses and the Navajo Hogans. Along with these time tested and ancient principles of nature, there was another common technique used in passively heating and cooling buildings: thermal chimneys.  Thermal chimneys…

Throughout history, the ever present, natural principles of sustainable building have been utilized in varying ways.  What our ancestors practiced in building design for generations upon generations, we now call Annualized Geo Solar – a structural-heating technique combining summertime capture of solar warmth, deposit and storage of that heat in insulation-buffered sub-structure soil, and, after…

Setting up a rainwater collection system takes determining where you wish to collect rainwater, gathering the needed materials, and a good sunny day.  Below are the 10 steps I used in constructing a rainwater collection system for use in watering my garden-landscape. Materials: 4 Blue, Food-Grade, 55-Gallon Barrels – $8 each from local honey and vanilla…

If you’re an existing home owner and are considering energy-efficient improvements this year, there are several options that you may want to consider. The three major tax credits are listed below. Before making your purchases, remember to research the specific product and make sure the manufacturer qualifies for the energy-efficiency rating under the IRS specifications….