Winter 2024
This is the first of our themed issues dedicated to specific aspects of earth building. This issue focuses on Passive House and features a straw-bale, Passive House home, blower door testing, a walk-through of what the revised H1 requirements mean for different natural building materials, part three on natural wall building techniques, and more…
Autumn 2024
This issue features the 2023 Conference Report, a magical Coromandel house profile, the next instalment of Natural Wall Building Techniques, natural house insulation techniques, the Athena Steen workshop report, and more.
Spring 2023
This issue features an introduction to historic earthen mortars, natural wall building techniques, the first in a series covering the building process of a rammed earth house, embodied carbon, a piece on compliance challengers related to new H1 energy efficiency, and more.
Autumn 2023
This issue features a light earth infill house in Kaiwaka, building with prefabricated straw panels, a beautiful photo essay with reflections on a natural building workshop with the Earth Building School, a report on designing for the sun, stone masonry and more…
Summer 2023
In this issue we have a full report of the recent 2022 conference in Nelson/Tasman with an additional, soulful photo-essay by a first time attendee and photographer, we look into ‘eco’ branded paints and offer true eco alternatives, Hiberna Modula present their progress with developing modula straw structured panels, and we have a local history and benefits of timber framing.
Spring 2022
In this issue Marcela Brauner examines Hygrothermal Modelling, we follow Eddie Chambers and friends on the journey of a 30m2 cottage in the Far North, Martin Ulenberg explains vapour permeability and hygroscopicity, Mika Zollner explores the benefits of building small, we have the forward to Tom Woolley’s new book ‘Natural Building Techniques’ written by Graeme North, and more…
Autumn 2022
In this issue we look at the international, humanitarian impact of the Earth Building Standards, there is an excerpt from Complete Guide to Straw Bale Building, a closer look at the benefits of verandahs, a wee history of pinus radiata and how it came to dominate our landscape and building supply stores, we discuss the groundbreaking inclusion of low-density adobe in the Earth Building Standards, we feature a beautiful, sculptural project at Wakino School, and more..
Summer 2022
In this issue we look at the true cost of aluminium, we present an in depth discussion with Architect, LBP and natural builder Florian Primbs about the state of the building industry and the world, and where natural building fits into this, thermal performance research, we feature the beautiful straw bale home Nga Kereru in the Hawke’s Bay, a book review for A Complete Guide to Straw Bale Building, and much more..
Winter 2021
The first of the redesigned magazine featuring the final installment of Toby Rickett’s hempcrete house in Northland, bamboo as a building material, how to compress straw bales, earth brick prefabrication, the Art of Earth Architecture book review, and more..
Summer 2020/2021
The final collaboration with The Owner Builder Magazine. Featuring post flood straw bale house floor repairs, review of the 2020 Annual Conference, Cohousing for Life book review, and all the content from the final issue of The Owner Builder Magazine.
Winter 2020
Featuring Hiberna straw bale passive house, the first installment of Toby Rickett’s hempcrete house in Northland, small straw bale bach, and Graeme North receives Order of Merit and more..
Summer 2019/2020
Featuring an update of the latest annual conference including the Otago house tours, a beautiful portrait of Graeme North’s house in North Auckland, Hempcrete house in Wanaka, and more..
Autumn 2019
Featuring how to make clay ‘no more gaps’, restoration of the Esk Head homestead, composting toilets, Green Building book review, and a review of the latest annual conference in Auckland.
Summer 2018/2019
Featuring in depth testing of adobe walls, the annual conference in review, House of Earth book review, earth building in Costa Rica, and more..