Prince Charles makes a case for the commercial viability of green housing with traditional design, as opposed to the modernist styles typically associated with the future of low carbon homes.
"On the outside, the latest house to be designed by the Prince's Foundation looks like more of the same. It has a hipped roof, ground floor railings, sash windows, columns and imposing chimneys, which adhere to all the foundation's teachings on correct proportion.
But according to the foundation's chief executive Hank Dittmar, the true inspiration for the experimental home - which goes on site at the Building Research Establishment's innovation park near Watford next month - lies further afield at Taos Pueblo, a 1,000-year-old American Indian settlement in New Mexico.
Dittmar believes the solid wall adobe construction used at the Unesco world heritage site could pose a challenge to the more overtly modern eco-homes built at the park, including the Lighthouse by Sheppard Robson, the first home to have achieved level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
At the heart of the foundation's Natural House project - first revealed in BD almost a year ago - is the use of lightweight clay blocks, fired in a low-energy manufacturing process, the serrated edges of which fit together to create simply constructed, highly insulated walls. These will be combined with other "time-tested" materials such as lime and hemp render, timber and sheep's-wool insulation."
FULL STORY: Prince looks to past for the future
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
Podcast: Addressing the Root Causes of Transit Violence
Deploying transit police is a short-term fix. How can transit agencies build sustainable safety efforts?
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.