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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

Volunteering

Building disaster-resilient classrooms with All Hands and Hearts in the Philippines
Architecture, Humanitarian aid, Volunteering June 11, 2025

Building disaster-resilient classrooms with All Hands and Hearts in the Philippines

6 Views 0 by Erika

All Hands and Hearts is building disaster-resilient, sustainable classrooms in the Philippines using Cement Bamboo Frame Technology.

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

Reforestation and community living at Sadhana Forest India

874 Views 0 by Erika

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

Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop: Social architecture in practice at Kantora Arts Village
Architecture, Communities, Social sustainability, Volunteering November 3, 2019

Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop: Social architecture in practice at Kantora Arts Village

880 Views 1 by Erika

Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop was a project at Kantora Arts Village aiming to create a positive social impact through architecture.

Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop: Experimenting with local materials in rural Gambia
Architecture, Design, Vernacular architecture, Volunteering August 18, 2019

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

2,577 Views 4 by Erika

Build with Gambia was an earth architecture workshop project with the goal of designing and building a dormitory for a rural vocational school using local materials.

Artistic action and clay oven construction at Portes et Passages du Retour art center
Design, Social sustainability, Vernacular architecture, Volunteering February 20, 2019

Artistic action and clay oven construction at Portes et Passages du Retour art center

358 Views 0 by Erika

Portes et Passages du Retour is a holistic art center in Senegal where art becomes a tool for social change.

Senegalese villages fight desertification and poverty by becoming ecovillages
Agriculture, Communities, Environment, Social sustainability, Volunteering August 19, 2018

Senegalese villages fight desertification and poverty by becoming ecovillages

2,222 Views 2 by Erika

Rural communities in Senegal are turning to permaculture and the global ecovillage movement in an effort to fight desertification while improving food security and quality of life.

Restoring earth buildings and community life at Moon Desert in the Moroccan Sahara
Responsible tourism, Vernacular architecture, Volunteering April 29, 2018

Restoring earth buildings and community life at Moon Desert in the Moroccan Sahara

1,458 Views 0 by Erika

The Moon Desert project is preserving and sharing traditional knowledge about earth building and desert living in southern Morocco.

Nature conservation and community service at Al Numeira Environmental Association
Environment, Social sustainability, Volunteering, Water March 6, 2018

Nature conservation and community service at Al Numeira Environmental Association

304 Views 0 by Erika

Al Numeira Environmental Association is a non-profit organization in Jordan that promotes nature and water conservation in a way that benefits both the environment and the members of the local community.

Self-sufficiency and tourism in the Wadi Rum Desert
Responsible tourism, Volunteering, Water February 19, 2018

Self-sufficiency and tourism in the Wadi Rum Desert

711 Views 1 by Erika

Malakot Camp in the Wadi Rum Desert of Jordan shows how a combination of responsible tourism and traditional Bedouin knowledge can improve lives while keeping traditional cultures alive.

Hurricane relief with All Hands Volunteers
Social sustainability, Volunteering February 5, 2018

Hurricane relief with All Hands Volunteers

223 Views 1 by Erika

All Hands Volunteers in a volunteer-powered disaster relief organization that provides immediate and long-term support to communities impacted by natural disasters.

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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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