Around the World, These Building Solutions Keep Things Close

In a place where most modern buildings are built with concrete and cooled with air conditioning equipment, Issoufou’s work shows that traditional methods and materials from the site are not only better for the environment, but also a more efficient way for the people who will live there.

Light-Touch Living in New Zealand

Stephen McDougall, director of Studio Pacific Architecture in Wellington, the country’s capital, said: “The Māori people, who are the citizens of New Zealand, have different values ​​and values. Care is one of these values.”

Based on this responsibility, McDougall created Kāpiti House, his conservation retreat set within 16 acres of reclaimed wetlands on the shores of Kāpiti Lake, north of Wellington. The building is designed to leave more of the environment and works with ventilation, removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it contributes.

Two vernacular buildings—a 1,750-square-foot main house barn and a two-story guest tower—make up the building, which is constructed of cross-laminated timber, solid hardwood, recycled rim wood, New Zealand wool insulation, and fly ash concrete. All of these materials have a much lower carbon footprint than their counterparts. Thanks to solar panels, rainwater collection, on-site wastewater treatment, and a permaculture garden and orchard, the project is complete. Passive design techniques, including deep self-shading windows, ventilation, and a high-performance envelope, mean that there is no need for heating or cooling.

“This approach shows a shift away from building isolated buildings to building structures that support a place over time,” says McDougall. It also provides a wonderful example of low-risk rural life.

Earthquake-Safe Wattle and Daub in Chile

In labor-intensive Chile, an 8,000-year-old building technique has proven to be the best protection. A Quincha house, or wattle-and-daub house, is covered with wattle mixed with mud and grass (daub), waterproofed with thin plaster. The lattice-like structure of the wood and the high temperature make it stable, allowing it to vibrate without damage.

The old method—which is stable and sustainable because the materials can be found on site—is now being revived by forward-thinking architects of earthquake-resistant, unsteady buildings across the country. Outside the capital city of Santiago, architect Marcelo Cortés recently designed the two-story 1,075-square-foot Casa Peñalolén using quincha metálica.

Architects Bárbara Barreda and Felipe Sepulveda, founders of the Chilean firm Base Studio, are revisiting the history of new natural architecture, adding local clay to the mix of materials by covering the building in 10,000 combustible tiles. While the project is still working, the two are making a 1:1 mirror this fall.

Bamboo, Brick, and Recycled Plastic in Malaysia

Example: Ibrahim Rayintakath

Architect Eleena Jamil has built her well-known firm in Malaysia’s Selangor state around architecture, “moving away from the airtight glass boxes found in many developing areas,” she explains. “In Malaysia, building methods (today) are based on timber and reinforced concrete frames, with brickwork for the walls. The roofs are usually made of metal sheets and covered with interlocking tiles.” Its activities aim to demonstrate a low-carbon, locally-sourced approach.