New Earth UK

04/04/2026

"It is a privilege to work with one's hands" ... Today, some of our team visited the Crystal Palace Subway that was recently restored and reopened in London. For almost 90 years it had lain neglected in ruins, under the wet hillside. Its shallow domes on pendentives are repeated in a hypostyle hall design that was the entrance into the park and the exhibition hall. By the skill of its designers and builders, it looks like a swirling "art nouveau" space, like the billowing folds of a giant swirling fabric. Its makers clearly understood structural masonry in the mid-19th century, at the height of Britain's power. It is known that imperial preference was a major source for Britain's industrial wealth, but this was not the only source. This wealth was also built on a foundation of skilled physical work and enjoyment of work. Thankfully imperial preference and empire have ended, but this should not stop us, in the industrialised world (which is now most of the world) taking up skilled hard work again. It is time to re-learn this lost knowledge and acknowledge what a privilege it is to work with our hands.

12/01/2026

Our Dr. Iliona Outram Khalili, RIBA, will teach her one week intensive course again in spring and summer 2026 in London. Each year new students learn how earth architecture can respond to new needs on earth, and how to build timeless traditional domes and vaults in new ways, while building new relationships. This year architect Iliona will teach techniques that empower the complete beginner to build structurally sound dome and vault modules and how to assemble these into disaster resistant 2-storey buildings. Learning is hands-on with theory at model scale.
https://schooloftraditionalarts.org/course/designing-earth-architecture-vaults-domes/https://schooloftraditionalarts.org/course/designing-earth-architecture-vaults-domes/

About Gain hands-on experience in how masons built traditional domed structures such as churches, mosques, tombs, palaces, and simple homes using just one material – earth. Learn the techniques to rotate and incline small blocks of natural materials to create arches, vaults, and domes, allowing yo...

18/12/2025

🎌 Japan just changed construction forever! While the rest of the world is drowning in concrete, Japanese innovators built the first 3D-printed home made almost entirely from SOIL. Yes, the dirt beneath our feet just became the building material of the future. This is absolutely brilliant and could solve so many problems.

22/11/2025

Could an earthquake split the Earth 🌍

16/11/2025

The secret of the cooling effect is the domed shape. There is always a sun and shade zone and the difference in temperature cases air movement inside

Across rural Kenya, an ancient technique finds a new form — clay refrigerators shaped like beehives. Crafted from porous terracotta and cooled by natural evaporation, these passive chillers preserve vegetables, dairy, and even cooked meals for several days without electricity.

Their rounded, hive-like design isn’t just aesthetic. The bulging lower half maximizes surface area to encourage evaporation, while the narrower top traps cooler air inside. Water is poured into the outer layer or placed in a shallow trench around the base, seeping into the clay. As heat evaporates the moisture, the inner chamber cools — often maintaining a temperature 10–15 degrees Celsius lower than the outside.

Villagers place bananas, tomatoes, milk, and even fish inside — all shielded from sun, dust, and pests. In drought-prone areas where electricity is scarce and expensive, these clay fridges extend the life of food and reduce spoilage. It also means fewer trips to markets or streams, giving women and elders more time for other work.

The beehive shape also speaks to local craftsmanship. Built by hand, each fridge reflects the hands that shaped it — some with decorative ridges, others with smooth coils or clay carvings. Children are taught to use them, to refill the trench with water, to lift the cover gently.

These fridges do not hum. They do not plug in. Yet they whisper resilience. In a world racing toward high-tech solutions, Kenya’s cooling hives remind us that sustainable answers often sit in the soil beneath our feet.

13/10/2025

In Mexico, traditional adobe houses are getting a natural upgrade with the use of cactus juice as a protective coating. This age-old technique, revived with modern understanding, involves extracting liquid from prickly pear cactus pads and applying it to adobe walls. The result is a natural sealant that makes the earthen structures both waterproof and insect-resistant—without the use of synthetic chemicals.

Adobe, made from clay, sand, straw, and water, is a sustainable and affordable building material well-suited to Mexico’s climate. However, its vulnerability to rain and pests has long been a challenge. The cactus juice, rich in mucilage, forms a breathable layer over the surface. It repels water while allowing moisture to escape from within the walls, preventing mold and structural weakening.

The process is simple and cost-effective. The cactus pads are harvested, boiled or soaked, and the resulting gel is mixed with water and lime before being brushed onto the adobe. Once dry, the coating becomes a thin, invisible shield that extends the life of the building and reduces maintenance needs.

This method is gaining renewed popularity in rural and semi-urban communities where people are looking for low-cost, eco-friendly ways to preserve their homes. It also reinforces cultural traditions that honor nature as part of everyday living.

By blending indigenous knowledge with sustainable construction, Mexico is proving that innovation can be rooted in the wisdom of the past.