Primary Menu
Field Study of the World
Secondary Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Topics
    • Agriculture
    • Architecture
    • Cities
    • Communities
    • Design
    • Engineering
    • Environment
    • General
    • Historic sites
    • Humanitarian aid
    • Responsible tourism
    • Social sustainability
    • Vernacular architecture
    • Volunteering
    • Waste
    • Water
  • Contact
Follow:

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

building materials

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

The living root bridges of India

883 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.

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

Traditions and modernization of vernacular architecture in West Timor

1,259 Views 0 by Erika

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

Abetenim Arts Village and the rammed earth schools of Ghana
Architecture, Social sustainability, Vernacular architecture October 17, 2019

Abetenim Arts Village and the rammed earth schools of Ghana

3,311 Views 0 by Erika

Abetenim Arts Village is a vocational school project in rural Ghana that is promoting earth building techniques, in particular rammed earth.

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

2,504 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.

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

Living heritage and earth architecture of Djenné

2,845 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.

Traditional and modern stone architecture of Mauritania
Architecture, Historic sites, Vernacular architecture May 20, 2018

Traditional and modern stone architecture of Mauritania

3,254 Views 0 by Erika

Stones have been the main building material in Mauritania’s historic desert towns, but what role does stone architecture play in 21st century Mauritania?

Boosting rural community tourism with cob houses
Responsible tourism, Vernacular architecture, Volunteering August 21, 2017

Boosting rural community tourism with cob houses

901 Views 0 by Erika

A new tourism cooperative in Rio Chiquito, El Salvador gives the locals a chance to benefit from tourism on a new level – thanks to affordable cob construction.

Building structures and futures with bamboo around Lake Atitlan
Social sustainability, Vernacular architecture June 5, 2017

Building structures and futures with bamboo around Lake Atitlan

686 Views 0 by Erika

When used correctly, bamboo is a material that has the potential to improve lives, boost local economies and contribute to environmental 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

786 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.

The floating bottle island of Joysxee
Design, Waste March 6, 2017

The floating bottle island of Joysxee

4,672 Views 1 by Erika

Joysxee is an artificial island built out of plastic bottles that teaches the world about the importance of reducing waste and turning it into a resource.

1 2 Next →

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.

Subscribe

Interested in following my travels and blog? Just enter your email address to receive all new posts by email.

Social

  • View fieldstudyoftheworld’s profile on Facebook
  • View fieldstudyoftheworld’s profile on Instagram

Search

© Copyright 2025 Field Study of the World.