Earthships, the UK pioneers: Simon Bradbury tracks down the pioneers of the first two earthship projects in the UK ...

Brighton Earthship summit: This year’s International Earthship Summit was held at Brighton where the second UK Earthship has been built in Stanmer Park. This report covers earthship pioneer, Michael Reynolds’, presentation of his initiation and development of the Earthship concept as well as a site visit . Harry Quince attended ...

Unfired clay bricks: In 2002 Arc (architecture, research & conservation) were asked by a local brick manufacturer, the Errol Brick Company, to help develop unfired clay products within the limitations of the existing manufacturing equipment and financial constraints of a small company ...

Eco villages in Finland: Here in Britain there are few examples of eco villages. In the Nordic countries the ‘eco-village’ movement has been growing up. In the north eco-villages have both been coming of age, broadening the definition of the description and letting this alternative form of social housing initiative spread it wings. Oliver Lowenstein reports ... ...

PV's for all new homes?: Dave Elliot highlights how other countries are leaving the UK behind in the solar PV stakes ...

Building a strong solar lobby: Chris Laughton calls for more emphasis on solar water heating ...

Country houses - flawed policy?: The original version of the Country House policy — also known as the “Gummer policy” after the Secretary of State whose brainchild it was — appeared in the 1997 version of Planning Policy Guidance 7 on the Countryside. It allowed an isolated new Country House (with capital letters) to be built in the countryside where normally residential development would not be permitted. Simon Fairlie is not impressed ...

Earth Plastering: Keith Hall tries his hand at freeform plastering in this issues' practical ecobuilding slot ...

Mainstreaming: Jenny Wain brings us the encouraging news that sustainability in housing is becoming increasingly mainstream ...

Heat Pumps: in a housing project that embraces geothermal (ground source heat pump technology) ...