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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

ancient civilizations

Living heritage and earth architecture of Djenné
Cities, Historic sites, Vernacular architecture November 22, 2018

Living heritage and earth architecture of Djenné

2,894 Views 0 by Erika

Djenné is a historic town in central Mali that is known for its remarkable urban earth architecture and mosque, but locals have mixed feelings about the conservation of traditional earth architecture.

Rise and fall of ancient Maya water management
Environment, Historic sites, Water May 22, 2017

Rise and fall of ancient Maya water management

4,218 Views 0 by Erika

Elegant water management strategies made the rise of the ancient Maya possible, but did it also make them vulnerable to climate change and collapse?

Chinampas, the floating gardens of a sinking city
Agriculture, Cities October 31, 2016

Chinampas, the floating gardens of a sinking city

2,179 Views 1 by Erika

Chinampas are an efficient Mesoamerican method of agriculture and a reminder of Mexico City’s past as a city of canals and artificial islands.

Development of Ancestral Puebloans and their architecture
Historic sites, Vernacular architecture September 10, 2016

Development of Ancestral Puebloans and their architecture

1,943 Views 1 by Erika

Ruins of Southwest USA tell the story of Ancestral Puebloans and the development of their architecture, partly driven by environmental factors like drought.

The Persian ice house, or how to make ice in the desert
Engineering, Vernacular architecture April 4, 2016

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

25,099 Views 6 by Erika

The Persian ice house and ice making technique are a fine example of what can be achieved without electricity by understanding physics and the local climate.

The qanat, a man-made underground river in the desert
Engineering, Water January 18, 2016

The qanat, a man-made underground river in the desert

1,894 Views 1 by Erika

The ancient qanat technology of Iran can teach us a lot about the sustainable management of groundwater resources in dry regions.

4500-year-old urban planning at Mohenjo-daro
Historic sites November 30, 2015

4500-year-old urban planning at Mohenjo-daro

6,382 Views 0 by Erika

The Bronze Age city of Mohenjo-daro is a reminder of how simple technology and materials can be used to provide the most basic human needs.

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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