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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

Social sustainability

How Long Way Home is creating architecture and awareness from trash
Architecture, Social sustainability, Volunteering, Waste May 8, 2017

How Long Way Home is creating architecture and awareness from trash

792 Views 0 by Erika

Long Way Home is a non-profit that is creating new skills, employment and awareness by building a vocational school out of waste and natural materials.

Pedal-powered bicycle machines of Maya Pedal
Design, Engineering, Social sustainability, Waste April 10, 2017

Pedal-powered bicycle machines of Maya Pedal

1,059 Views 1 by Erika

Maya Pedal is a Guatemalan NGO that is upcycling old bicycles into pedal-powered machines that make manual labour and daily tasks easier without electricity.

Fundacion En Via – empowering rural women through responsible tourism
Responsible tourism, Social sustainability December 12, 2016

Fundacion En Via – empowering rural women through responsible tourism

207 Views 0 by Erika

En Via is a Mexican non-profit organisation that gives rural businesswomen interest-free microloans that are funded through responsible tourism.

Sustainable living and education at O.U.R. Ecovillage
Communities, Social sustainability July 29, 2016

Sustainable living and education at O.U.R. Ecovillage

400 Views 0 by Erika

O.U.R. Ecovillage is a permaculture based community that educates and brings people together to solve global problems.

Silent challenges of Indian reservations
Communities, Social sustainability, Volunteering June 23, 2016

Silent challenges of Indian reservations

1,936 Views 0 by Erika

I recently volunteered at an Indian reservation and learned a lot about the problems of Native Americans and reservations – and something about solutions.

Global Village volunteering and building houses in Mongolia
Social sustainability, Volunteering May 23, 2016

Global Village volunteering and building houses in Mongolia

610 Views 2 by Erika

A few years ago I participated in Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program in Mongolia. It was a rewarding experience but I view it differently today.

Revisiting a student project in Kenya
Social sustainability, Volunteering March 21, 2016

Revisiting a student project in Kenya

252 Views 0 by Erika

Last year I was part of a permaculture and knowledge sharing project in Kenya, and I recently visited the site to see how the project lives on in the local community.

Grassroots waste management at Kibuye market
Social sustainability, Waste February 22, 2016

Grassroots waste management at Kibuye market

652 Views 0 by Erika

A group of traders from Kibuye market in Kisumu, Kenya have taken over management of organic waste by turning it into organic manure and a profit.

Invasive water hyacinths turned into a resource
Design, Environment, Social sustainability February 1, 2016

Invasive water hyacinths turned into a resource

1,337 Views 1 by Erika

Water hyacinths on Lake Victoria are negatively impacting the lake’s ecosystem and fishermen, but crafts groups in Kenya have found a use for the invasive plant.

Floating villages and gardens of Inle Lake
Agriculture, Social sustainability, Vernacular architecture January 4, 2016

Floating villages and gardens of Inle Lake

3,577 Views 3 by Erika

Floating villages and gardens of Inle Lake in Myanmar are a source of livelihood for the Intha people, but human activities are also a threat to the lake.

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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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