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Popular Posts...

  • The Persian ice house, or how to make ice in the desert
    April 4, 2016

    The Persian ice house, or how to make ice in the desert

  • Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop: Experimenting with local materials in rural Gambia
    August 18, 2019

    Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop: Experimenting with local materials in rural Gambia

  • Earthbag domes of Dome Lombok: From ecotourism to earthquake-resistant housing
    November 17, 2019

    Earthbag domes of Dome Lombok: From ecotourism to earthquake-resistant housing

  • Architecture, sustainability, travel and this blog
    November 23, 2015

    Architecture, sustainability, travel and this blog

  • Bridge building with Toni Rüttimann and rural communities of Myanmar
    December 17, 2019

    Bridge building with Toni Rüttimann and rural communities of Myanmar

  • Floating villages and gardens of Inle Lake
    January 4, 2016

    Floating villages and gardens of Inle Lake

  • Traditional earth lodges of the Great Plains
    July 7, 2016

    Traditional earth lodges of the Great Plains

  • Searching for windcatchers in Hyderabad
    February 15, 2016

    Searching for windcatchers in Hyderabad

  • Providing clean drinking water to the people of Lake Atitlan
    June 19, 2017

    Providing clean drinking water to the people of Lake Atitlan

  • Ganvie, Africa’s largest lake village
    September 2, 2019

    Ganvie, Africa’s largest lake village

Author: Erika

Traditional desert architecture of South-East Tunisia
Historic sites, Vernacular architecture October 30, 2024

Traditional desert architecture of South-East Tunisia

403 Views 0 by Erika

The desert region of South-East Tunisia is home to some extraordinary traditional architecture, including cave houses and fortified granaries.

Uros Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca
Communities, Vernacular architecture June 16, 2024

Uros Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca

710 Views 0 by Erika

The Uros Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca in Peru are home to an indigenous community living on floating reed islands.

Contrasts and challenges of Lagos, Africa’s largest city
Cities, Communities, Social sustainability September 17, 2022

Contrasts and challenges of Lagos, Africa’s largest city

2,159 Views 0 by Erika

Lagos, Africa’s largest and soon the world’s largest city, is a city of inequality that faces a multitude of challenges.

Maternity hospital construction in the midst of a humanitarian crisis with Médecins Sans Frontières
Architecture, Humanitarian aid May 7, 2022

Maternity hospital construction in the midst of a humanitarian crisis with Médecins Sans Frontières

601 Views 0 by Erika

As Construction Manager at Médecins Sans Frontières, I worked on the design and construction of a maternity hospital in Northeast Nigeria.

School renovations in rural Tanzania with C-re-aid
Architecture, Social sustainability January 30, 2021

School renovations in rural Tanzania with C-re-aid

1,066 Views 0 by Erika

In 2019-2020 I managed two school renovations in Shimbwe village in Northern Tanzania while working for architectural NGO Cr-e-aid.

Reforestation and community living at Sadhana Forest India
Communities, Environment, Volunteering October 11, 2020

Reforestation and community living at Sadhana Forest India

845 Views 0 by Erika

Sadhana Forest India is a reforestation project and a model for sustainable community living.

The living root bridges of India
Engineering, Environment, Vernacular architecture August 9, 2020

The living root bridges of India

867 Views 0 by Erika

In the jungles of Northeast India, a tradition of weaving together roots of living trees has created strong and regenerative root bridges that have served generations.

Utopian ideas meet sustainable living at Auroville
Cities, Communities May 31, 2020

Utopian ideas meet sustainable living at Auroville

1,132 Views 1 by Erika

Auroville is an experimental universal township where all people can live in peace and harmony, regardless of politics or nationality.

Traditions and modernization of vernacular architecture in West Timor
Architecture, Vernacular architecture March 15, 2020

Traditions and modernization of vernacular architecture in West Timor

1,247 Views 0 by Erika

A merge of modern and traditional building materials and techniques is transforming vernacular housing in Indonesia’s West Timor.

Bridge building with Toni Rüttimann and rural communities of Myanmar
Engineering, Social sustainability December 17, 2019

Bridge building with Toni Rüttimann and rural communities of Myanmar

1,043 Views 3 by Erika

Toni Rüttimann has built more than 830 bridges together with local partners and rural communities in 13 countries, including more than 130 bridges Myanmar.

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About

Welcome to my blog! My name is Erika Alatalo and I’m a world traveler and humanitarian architect writing about sustainable development, architecture and travel. Check out this page for more information.

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