[Originally posted to Where]  A note accompanies this photo in Le Corbusier’s The Radiant City (1933):

“outside our apartments in the Radiant City: we come home from work and change; our friends are there waiting. High spirits, physical activity. And then we can go on to think about the ’serious’ things afterwards.”

I can see myself now, coming home after a long day’s work and running the steeplechase with my neighbors. :) Le Corbusier’s plans, while at times charmingly unrealistic, are also blamed for inspiring the spread of giant housing projects in cities around the world. But is there enduring value in his thinking?

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[Originally posted to Where] The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is currently showing an exhibition on Tulou, an affordable-housing prototype designed by Chinese architecture firm Urbanus for the city of Guangzhou, China. The Tulou prototype includes 245 apartments, an inn, exercise facilities, a library, storefronts, and varied public space. The exhibition will feature two bedrooms at actual size, as well as images, models, and project information. It runs from October 3, 2008 to April 5, 2009 at 2 East 91st Street in New York. (more…)

Straw bale homes are on the rise based on the demand for inexpensive, renewable, and energy-efficient building materials. Some recent books on the form and function of straw bale construction include The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes by Athena and Bill Steen; Strawbale Home Plans (pictured) by Wayne Bingham and Collen Smith; and Design of Straw Bale Buildings: The State of the Art by Bruce King.

Good Earth is a group of Indian architects and engineers working together to build sustainable communities based on the philosophy of Laurie Baker, a British-born Indian architect known for his low-cost housing initiatives. Good Earth is currently working in Bangalore and Kerala.

The Belarusian Division of the International Academy of Ecology (BD IAE) has developed a successful sustainable housing program for people displaced by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Using wood frames and rye straw covered with stucco, they have built over 100 homes to date. Since 1998, the houses have also been equipped with low-cost solar collectors. This project was a finalist for the 2007 World Habitat Awards.

Photo from the World Habitat Awards website

Quoted: This project uses straw-bale construction methods to provide low-income households in the Chernobyl area of Belarus with healthy, low-energy and inexpensive shelter.

miniHome is a versatile mobile home that can be towed around and used as a living space. It holds great potential for sustainable living, as it can generate its own electricity with solar panels and a wind turbine, functioning completely independent of municipal infrastructure.

Quoted: At some point, everyone has wanted to escape to some kind of wilderness retreat and return to a simpler life – closer to nature. This project started with yearning for that kind of simplicity. The miniHome emerged from this idea – plugged into nature – a kind of in-between place that allows a relationship and mediates between our own nature or physiology and the biosphere (why do we even draw such distinctions?).

A great article on sustainable home design by Abigail Goldman of the LA Times, published on July 29, 2007. Goldman highlights simple and affordable ways to cut carbon emissions and lower energy bills.

Quoted: “Forty percent of America’s carbon emissions comes from buildings — almost half — and utility bills are a major factor in household bankruptcy,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. “You can reduce your utility bill by 50% or 60% relatively easily. That’s one-fifth of the total carbon emissions today. It’s a huge part of what we have to do.” Making those eco-friendly changes at home has become simpler and more affordable.