Environmental pollution and the burden of our civilization on nature, from every walk of human life has become the most dreadful thing. It is now almost an open secret that technology might not be sufficient to save the planet, on the contrary we must go back to nature, which holds the key to its own survival. The key lies in the fact that we need to follow nature`s unwritten rule of producing enough to meet the needs, and produce what one consumes. One of the modern marvels of architecture, which is also environment friendly, and made from the natural materials is a earthen house, built roughly on 2000 sq.m plot of land. It is built down a bone-jarring dirt road, up on a mountainside. The house does not have running water, or electricity, nor even a telephone line. It not only is devoid of any modern amenities, but also is made without any modern construction material and has the minimum impact on the planet.
The owner of the house admits that her goal was to change her lifestyle, with an awareness of her consumption, in a responsible way as well.
An Iranian-American architect Nader Khalili has constructed this house with unprocessed materials from the materials available in the vicinity. The carbon footprint of this building was reduced by avoiding concrete, and steel reinforcements as well. The building possibly draws inspiration from earthen structures from Yemen and other countries, which have survived nature for centuries, and mostly being functional and intact.
Polypropylene bags were filled up with earth dug up from the property itself, and in a staggered pattern were stacked one on top of the other. Barbed wires were used between each layer to provide extra adhesion. The durability and healthy aspect of earth was the major cause for using it as the building material. Khalili used a fusion of Islamic architecture, and modern methods to construct this elegant, dome shaped structure, which has become a symbol of environment friendly architectural art.
The house has been given a flat top, which adds the possibility of a second floor as well. Moreover, the house is open to expansion using minimum elements and amenities. This naturally built house can be a subject of renovation, expansion and lots more with the creative juices flowing, at minimal cost and burden on the planet as well.
This house serves as a gentle reminder to the world, and the local people as well that nature holds the key to withstand nature, as it has successfully withstood the torrential winter rains of the area.
The toilet of this house is also another modern architectural marvel. It is a dry, composting toilet, and keeps up to the reputation of a low-impact building. The dream of the owner Kerry Bingham comes true, and the toilet, an outdoor one provides a breath taking view of the mesmerizing Olympos Valley, located on the Mediterranean coast.
The house is to be covered with lime plaster finish, which is also a natural material used in the past.
The next project of this ultramodern house is the green kitchen. The kitchen is to be equipped with solar-powered water pump. Bingham also has plans for a pond with specialized plants that will be able to recycle water from the kitchen for reuse.
via: thenational
