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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
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    Earthbag domes of Dome Lombok: From ecotourism to earthquake-resistant housing

  • Architecture, sustainability, travel and this blog
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  • 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

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    September 2, 2019

    Ganvie, Africa’s largest lake village

upcycling

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

School renovations in rural Tanzania with C-re-aid

1,086 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.

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

1,288 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.

Nature conservation and community service at Al Numeira Environmental Association
Environment, Social sustainability, Volunteering, Water March 6, 2018

Nature conservation and community service at Al Numeira Environmental Association

304 Views 0 by Erika

Al Numeira Environmental Association is a non-profit organization in Jordan that promotes nature and water conservation in a way that benefits both the environment and the members of the local community.

How the Plastic Bottle Village is turning waste into a resource
Architecture, Environment, Waste December 11, 2017

How the Plastic Bottle Village is turning waste into a resource

2,105 Views 0 by Erika

The Plastic Bottle Village is a project in Panama that is trying to solve the global plastic problem by turning plastic bottles into construction material.

How Sonati is raising environmental awareness in Nicaragua
Environment, Waste September 5, 2017

How Sonati is raising environmental awareness in Nicaragua

510 Views 0 by Erika

Sonati is a Nicaraguan NGO that is fighting environmental problems through education, community outreach and recycling parks built with reused waste.

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.

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

792 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.

Pedal-powered bicycle machines of Maya Pedal
Design, Engineering, Social sustainability, Waste April 10, 2017

Pedal-powered bicycle machines of Maya Pedal

1,050 Views 1 by Erika

Maya Pedal is a Guatemalan NGO that is upcycling old bicycles into pedal-powered machines that make manual labour and daily tasks easier without electricity.

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

The floating bottle island of Joysxee

4,738 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.

Earthships and off-grid living on Taos mesa
Architecture, Volunteering September 22, 2016

Earthships and off-grid living on Taos mesa

2,569 Views 1 by Erika

Earthships have become the symbol of off-grid living, but the key to successful off-grid living lies in understanding design principles and the environment.

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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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