SUSTAINABLE SHELTERS

Living spaces are designed in sync with materials, design, climate, and waste disposal

- Francesca Cotta

Like all creatures, human beings are environment-makers. We forget this sometimes, perhaps because today we have become notorious for being environment-destroyers. It wasn't always like this. Our ancestors mostly lived in harmony with nature, taking only what they needed. Many communities, mainly indigenous ones, still live sustainably, respecting and protecting nature. Perhaps there is no other human-made structure that expresses our relationship to the wider world more plainly than a house. Everybody needs some form of shelter, and though the forms they take vary widely, all shelters are designed keeping a few elements in mind: what materials are used, how the space is designed, where water and energy come from, climate control, and waste disposal. Let's look at a few interesting examples!

Mud houses