concept
ekistics
The science of human settlements, examining relationships between people, nature, and the built environment across all scales.
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concept
vernacular architecture
Buildings shaped by local conditions, traditions, and available materials rather than formal architectural theory.
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concept
urban morphology
The study of how cities form, evolve, and adapt over time through the interaction of streets, lots, buildings, and land use.
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concept
bioregionalism
An approach to living and governance organized around natural geographic regions rather than political boundaries.
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settlement
newfoundland outports
Isolated coastal communities built around self-sufficiency, collective survival, and an intimate relationship with the sea.
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settlement
the kibbutz
A collective community built around shared labour, equality of resources, and democratic self-governance originating in Israel.
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settlement
japanese satoyama
A mosaic landscape of rice paddies, coppice woodland, and villages shaped by centuries of sustainable land management.
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settlement
medieval bastide towns
Planned towns built across southern France in the 13th century with grid streets, central markets, and fortified walls.
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technique
rammed earth
A construction technique using compacted raw earth to form dense, thermally massive walls with minimal embodied energy.
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technique
timber framing
The oldest structural method in continuous use, from post-and-beam farmsteads to contemporary mass-timber towers.
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technique
lime plastering
A finishing method used in mortars, plasters, and renders for thousands of years, valued for its breathability and longevity.
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system
the commons
Resources managed collectively by a community, governed by shared rules that resist both privatization and depletion.
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system
food systems
The chain of activities connecting food production, processing, distribution, and consumption within a place or region.
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system
consensus governance
A decision-making process that seeks broad agreement rather than majority rule, common in intentional communities.
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