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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

traditional techniques

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

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

Traditional desert architecture of South-East Tunisia
Historic sites, Vernacular architecture October 30, 2024

Traditional desert architecture of South-East Tunisia

481 Views 0 by Erika

The desert region of South-East Tunisia is home to some extraordinary traditional architecture, including cave houses and fortified granaries.

Uros Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca
Communities, Vernacular architecture June 16, 2024

Uros Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca

747 Views 0 by Erika

The Uros Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca in Peru are home to an indigenous community living on floating reed islands.

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

The living root bridges of India

913 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

1,288 Views 0 by Erika

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

Defensive and spiritual tata sombas of the Batammariba
Vernacular architecture July 28, 2019

Defensive and spiritual tata sombas of the Batammariba

1,220 Views 0 by Erika

Tata sombas are a type of vernacular house in Togo and Benin built by the Batammariba tribe, for whom the traditional house is full of cultural and religious symbolism.

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

Vernacular architecture of Dogon Country and its development

4,015 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

2,304 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.

Painted earth architecture of the Kassena people
Vernacular architecture December 17, 2018

Painted earth architecture of the Kassena people

2,723 Views 0 by Erika

The Kassena people of southern Burkina Faso are known for their beautifully painted earth houses.

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

Living heritage and earth architecture of Djenné

2,878 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.

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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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