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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

education

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

School renovations in rural Tanzania with C-re-aid

1,071 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

854 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

867 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.

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

3,294 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.

Participatory design of WASH in schools with UNICEF Guinea-Bissau
Architecture, Design, Social sustainability June 9, 2019

Participatory design of WASH in schools with UNICEF Guinea-Bissau

344 Views 0 by Erika

In January 2019 I took part in an in-situ studio in Guinea-Bissau where we used participatory design to design inclusive sanitation facilities for schools.

Vernacular architecture of Dogon Country and its development
Architecture, Vernacular architecture March 7, 2019

Vernacular architecture of Dogon Country and its development

3,934 Views 0 by Erika

Mali’s Dogon Country has a rich heritage of vernacular building techniques and this heritage is being kept alive and developed through school building projects.

The Nubian vault is transforming low-cost housing in West Africa
Architecture, Social sustainability, Vernacular architecture February 6, 2019

The Nubian vault is transforming low-cost housing in West Africa

2,263 Views 1 by Erika

The Nubian Vault Association is improving housing conditions, fighting climate change and creating employment in West Africa by facilitating a market in earth brick vaults.

Innovative agriculture meets entrepreneurship at MyFarm
Agriculture, Social sustainability January 10, 2019

Innovative agriculture meets entrepreneurship at MyFarm

315 Views 0 by Erika

MyFarm is an educational demonstration farm that is improving livelihoods in The Gambia by promoting agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship.

Tunbung Art Village, a haven for creativity in The Gambia
Architecture, Communities, Design September 11, 2018

Tunbung Art Village, a haven for creativity in The Gambia

1,256 Views 0 by Erika

Tunbung Art Village is an outdoor studio in The Gambia where art, earth architecture and environmental protection meet in a creative way.

Moroccan fog harvesting project relieves water stress and rural poverty
Engineering, Social sustainability, Water May 8, 2018

Moroccan fog harvesting project relieves water stress and rural poverty

2,165 Views 1 by Erika

Dar Si Hmad is a Moroccan non-profit organization that is improving water security and promoting sustainable livelihoods in rural Morocco with the help of the world’s largest fog harvesting system.

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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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