#local-materials

#local-materials

The $2,500 Vernacular Home sits in Para Dash, a bamboo village in Modonpur, Bangladesh, and it's basically a masterclass in working with what you've got. Built for a multigenerational family of four (parents, their son, and his wife), this isn't some stripped-down minimalist box. We're talking two bedrooms, a kitchen, toilet, two cow sheds, a future child's room, a weaving space, and even a roadside teahouse and shop. All for under $2,500. That includes materials and labor.

BaleBio, a bamboo pavilion designed by Cave Urban for Bauhaus Earth's ReBuilt initiative, pioneers a new paradigm of carbon-negative architecture in Bali. Rising gracefully above the sands of Mertasari Beach in Denpasar, the 84-square-meter structure transforms what was once a disused car park into a vibrant communal hub, an open meeting space that merges ecological innovation with social purpose. In a landscape where coastal development is often driven by tourism and concrete infrastructure,

Arch-Exist + 34 Design Director: Zhe Yang (Partner) Technical Director: Renzhen Chen (Partner) Design Team: Rui Yang, Qinmei Hu, Yaxian Zhao, Yuanjun Gou, Yuting Huang Client: Xuyong Town People's Government, Xuyong County Copywriting: Youcai Pan, Xiangxin Ge Materials Used: Straw paint, copper-aluminum composite panels, ultra-clear insulated glass, wood grain paint, small blue tiles (mixed), lava panels, micro-cement, spruce wood panels Construction Drawing Team: Chengdu Meixia Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

The new market hall integrates with its urban context, creating a peaceful space that connects to the church square and revitalizes the area.

The design emphasizes flexibility and a strong connection to nature, using raw and local materials to express the personality of the homeowners.