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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
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    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

water hyacinth

Ganvie, Africa’s largest lake village
Communities, Environment, Vernacular architecture September 2, 2019

Ganvie, Africa’s largest lake village

2,562 Views 3 by Erika

Ganvie village is a 400-year-old settlement that is built in the middle of a lake in Benin.

Chinampas, the floating gardens of a sinking city
Agriculture, Cities October 31, 2016

Chinampas, the floating gardens of a sinking city

2,107 Views 1 by Erika

Chinampas are an efficient Mesoamerican method of agriculture and a reminder of Mexico City’s past as a city of canals and artificial islands.

Invasive water hyacinths turned into a resource
Design, Environment, Social sustainability February 1, 2016

Invasive water hyacinths turned into a resource

1,268 Views 1 by Erika

Water hyacinths on Lake Victoria are negatively impacting the lake’s ecosystem and fishermen, but crafts groups in Kenya have found a use for the invasive plant.

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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