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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

rural development

Community tourism and environmental protection at Miraflor Natural Reserve
Agriculture, Environment, Responsible tourism October 1, 2017

Community tourism and environmental protection at Miraflor Natural Reserve

362 Views 0 by Erika

At Miraflor Natural Reserve farming communities, the natural environment and tourists have learned to live together for mutual benefit.

Improving indigenous lives with coffee and culture
Communities, Social sustainability, Volunteering September 18, 2017

Improving indigenous lives with coffee and culture

230 Views 0 by Erika

Preservation of culture and a women’s coffee cooperative are two grassroots projects by the members of La Laguna indigenous community in Nicaragua.

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

Boosting rural community tourism with cob houses

909 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.

The life-changing bridges of Toni Rüttimann
Engineering, Social sustainability July 24, 2017

The life-changing bridges of Toni Rüttimann

1,519 Views 1 by Erika

Toni Rüttimann is an independent humanitarian bridge builder whose pedestrian bridges have changed the lives of two million people.

Community development in indigenous Guatemala by Mayan Families
Architecture, Social sustainability, Volunteering July 12, 2017

Community development in indigenous Guatemala by Mayan Families

895 Views 0 by Erika

Mayan Families is a non-profit organization that works with community development and poverty alleviation in indigenous communities in rural Guatemala.

Providing clean drinking water to the people of Lake Atitlan
Volunteering, Water June 19, 2017

Providing clean drinking water to the people of Lake Atitlan

414 Views 3 by Erika

Water Works is a project in Guatemala that is improving access to clean drinking water in impoverished rural areas with ceramic filters.

Tropical agroforestry at Maya Mountain Research Farm
Agriculture, Volunteering March 23, 2017

Tropical agroforestry at Maya Mountain Research Farm

900 Views 0 by Erika

Maya Mountain Research Farm in Belize shows how agroforestry and permaculture can turn damaged soil back into naturally productive landscapes.

Cob houses and community living at Ecovillananda
Communities, Vernacular architecture February 13, 2017

Cob houses and community living at Ecovillananda

1,224 Views 0 by Erika

Ecovillananda is a permaculture based community in southern Mexico that promotes sustainable living in the village of San Sebastian Rio Hondo.

Rammed earth construction at a future ecocenter
Architecture, Vernacular architecture, Volunteering January 25, 2017

Rammed earth construction at a future ecocenter

1,317 Views 1 by Erika

Rammed earth is a popular sustainable building technique, and the key to building a quality rammed earth structure is understanding the materials.

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

205 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.

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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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