How many architects are given this 10 word design brief: "Humour, mystery, fantasy, ecological, sustainable, independent, contextual, agricultural, invisible." Those were the words from British Lawyer Nicholas Worsley to Associated Architects in Birmingham. Said the owner of the Cobtun House (now downsizing) "Sustainable houses are usually very worthy - but very dull," he said. "This was an attempt to introduce aesthetics to the equation." It is built from cob, a mix of mud and straw. According to the Telegraph: "Every element of the house is designed to reduce its impact on the environment: shelves are built from recycled plastic, the shower is heated with solar panels and the washing machine and lavatories use rainwater collected from the roof".... and this RIBA award winner, overlooking the River Avon, can all be yours for £745,000 (US$ 1,385,000). :;The Independent and see a ::tour

Drink Water to Help Others

Lester Brown Goes to China