New moves in greywater recycling: for the uninitiated, greywater is waste water from the washing machine, bathroom basin, showers and the bath itself. The use of greywater and rainwater for household water needs used to be very much the province of the cranky but over the last few years the concept has moved gradually more and more towards the mainstream ...

Environmentally aware architecture: a recent article in a mainstream self-build magazine gave five architects the opportunity to respond to a brief which concentrated on environmental concerns. Unfortunately, the resulting designs showed a general lack of environmental awareness ...

Restoration and innovation: The renovation of buildings need not always be stuffy and restrictive. The Legion Hall renovation project at Newtyle is a case in point. Here innovation and environmental concern has taken centre stage to provide a durable, sensitive and friendly solution.

Spirit and Place: unique extracts from Christopher Day's latest book. "We can control our breathing, but not our involuntary need for air. We can freeze, fast or dehydrate ourselves to death, but not refuse to breathe"...

Wood logic: Gaia Architects have designed the first major building in Scotland built of wood sourced entirely from Scottish forests, and not one batten of it was treated. Local timber was even used as fuel for the heating system. Chris Morgan of Gaia explains…

Earth sheltered building: Earth sheltered buildings with a 6kW wind turbine, recycling water systems and much more are hiding away in the centre of London. Scot Fletcher went to have a look…

Green office at home: David and Fiona Gomersall moved to Shropshire in 1995. David had his own architectural practice and needed space for an office. He had wanted for some time to design and construct himself a studio for his architectural and painting work and this need, together with the existence of a rough piece of ground belonging to the cottage, provided an ideal opportunity …

Toxic water cycle: The earth’s 4-billion year old water supply has served us pretty well over our comparatively short time on earth. Droughts and famine have come and gone, devastating populations and wiping out civilisations, but never on such a scale as we are heading for now. Global warming coupled with huge population growth and bad water management have thrown us into a world water crisis.

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