Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares her tips and tricks for how to plaster straw-bale walls with clay, this time tackling the second coat. Read more

Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares her top tips for how to plaster straw-bale walls with clay, beginning with the first, or base, coat. Read more

Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares her top tips for building a low-cost, high-performing living green roof. Read more

Sigi Koko outlines the pros, cons and considerations when it comes to making non-toxic natural paints from the simplest of ingredients. Read more

A great project to try with kids, natural builder Sigi Koko shares her best recipes for how to make natural paints with eggs. Read more

Natural builder Sigi Koko shares her tried and tested method of making natural non-toxic paint from clay. Read more

Natural builder Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares how to perfect the final finishing layer of an adobe earthen floor. Read more

Sigi Koko teaches us the different approaches to the levelling layer in Part 3 of how to build an adobe earthen floor. Read more

In Part 2 of how to build an adobe earthen floor, Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design tackles the all important base layer. Read more

Natural builder Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares how to build an adobe floor. In Part 1, we learn about the substrate through to the insulation layer critical for any earthen floor. Read more

Whether it’s for your kitchen walls or your 5 year old’s latest masterpiece, Sigi Koko shares her simple recipes for homemade natural paint with milk. Read more

Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares a step-by-step building process to help you build your very own outdoor cob oven using local natural materials. Read more

We learn from Sigi Koko at Down to Earth Design about how to build a cob oven using local natural materials and firewood as fuel. In this first installment, she covers the preparation stages. Read more

Using salvage building materials brings new life to otherwise discarded items.  Reusing materials can inspire creativity and reduce construction costs. But you need to have a plan, or you risk spinning your wheels and burning out from all the leg work involved. Read more

Let’s get one thing straight right away…When I say “small”, I don’t mean living in a shoe box.   What I mean by “small” is living in a space that is designed…well designed…for your needs…and no more.  A small space doesn’t mean cramped. Read more

Passive solar design takes advantage of solar orientation and other climate conditions to minimize (and in some conditions, eliminate) heating and cooling requirements for a building. Read more