Happy May from The Last Straw! With the passing of mid-Spring, wildfire season is upon us in North America, on the heels of drought in the Western U.S. We also can’t help but anticipate a hot summer, with both record high temperatures and intense reactions to Trumponomics’ consequences likely in store. This month we’re inviting you to think about the life-giving and life-taking qualities of fire for the next issue of our magazine, and how actually-existing regenerative building might show a way through the flames.
BIOSPHERICS
Heed the call for Issue 77!
Help fuel our next issue on Fire. While we hope to include literal and technical coverage, we also hope to explore abstract stories about the relationship between combustion and livelihood. We're interested in all of the ways that fire is affecting the built environment, from design and material choices to insurance and life safety. Not to mention the G-type star of fire in the sky that powers it all.
Here are some ideas to get you going, but feel free to think beyond these:
How do we build for a world on fire?
What are best fire ecology ethics?
How can we design more fire-resilient buildings?
How sustainable is burning biomass? And recycling?
Have you taken on a fire rebuild? Share your experiences.
What will fire’s role be in a regenerative future?
How do we find fuel to build up when all is burning down?
In the face of political unrest, what fires need to be fueled for a safe uprising?
What new growth have you found on burnt ground?
What passions do you want to fuel within the community?
What is your favorite campfire story?
Contributors who are featured in Issue No. 77 will each receive an $100 honorarium for their work. Please send all proposals by May 25th, we can’t wait to hear from you!
Tune in on Wednesday May 28th at 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET
Tune in to our first ever live video call later this month with New Frameworks co-founder and director of vision & strategy Ace McArleton as he talks about the New Frameworks SEED program! And as a primer, you could read Ace’s excellent Issue 76 feature on the program, Growing Change. On the call, we will be talking all things SEED! We’re talking program AND collaborative, so bring your questions! Save the date with this calendar link, or save this email and join directly on the 28th with this link.
RESOURCES
Building with Biomass
This revealing report should finally put to rest any concerns that regenerative building products are still a pipe dream, because “unlike many carbon removal solutions still in development, biomass building products are already commercially manufactured in the United States and globally.” Even if you just skim this, the compelling graphics comparing conventional material carbon and monetary costs are worth a look.
ECO-TECHNICS
How Do Conservation Experts Make Their Own Homes More Energy Efficient?
We’re excited to see a couple straw wall houses in this short round-up of how “architects, policy analysts and sustainability experts… walk the talk in their own lives”, which hint at a concern for upfront carbon and energy usage. This is worth checking out to see what energy-conscious construction catches the attention of The Wall Street Journal (and what a few determined climate change-skeptical commenters are thinking below the article).
BIOSPHERICS
Project to suck carbon out of sea begins in UK
While removing carbon from the atmosphere is no substitute for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the SeaCURE project in the U.K. is experimenting with extracting carbon from seawater before returning it to the ocean, where it can better absorb carbon from the air. The current process is energy-intensive and very small scale, and there is also research being done simultaneously to see how less carbon in the ocean might affect sealife.
ECOTECHNICS
Not Just Book Recommendations
Three (semi) recent books on the theme of using less that the editorial collective is excited about, and all three have fun ways to engage with the ideas before sitting down to read.
Half-Earth Socialism
A manifesto from Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergass on saving the planet from capitalism and overconsumption through the importance of re-wilding, socialism, less meat production and much more. To inhabit the ideas the authors also made a video game where you have to choose what resources, policies, and research projects to invest in to save the planet. Read the book, but perhaps more importantly, play the video game.
Don’t Build, Rebuild
Aaron Betsky has been writing about reuse for a while, and Don’t Build, Rebuild: The Case for Imaginative Reuse in Architecture combines many years of travels and thinking into a compelling case for the historical relevance and climatic urgency of reuse. Read the book, it’s excellent, but first listen to the author on the excellent Material Matters podcast.
A Moratorium on New Construction
Charlotte Malterre-Barthes’ brand new book is provocative, well researched, and built on a career of questioning designers role in material extraction and waste. Read the book, but start with the authors five page “graphic novel”, and her very nice interview from the Architects Newspaper that includes lots of links to other interesting reading.
FIELD NOTES
A New Reuse Innovation Center in Brooklyn
A new business cooperative focused on salvaging and reusing building materials is coming to New York City. According to project leader Dave Bennink the Reuse Innovation Center (NYC-RIC) will have “businesses that take buildings [apart], and we’ll have businesses that put buildings back together. We’ll have businesses that make products for buildings that are circular in nature, made of reclaimed and recycled content.” Use their sign-up form if you’re interested in being a part of the community!
EVENTS
May 5-11
If you’re in or around Michigan, check out this free workshop opportunity with Strawbale Studio. Work on earthen flooring and interiors with all meals and lodging provided!
May 13th
Join Bio-based Materials Collective for the online watch of their 2025 Summit! Topics will span from bioregional regenerative finance to hempcrete homes, and from carbon policy to workforce development.
May 29th
If you attend, check out their follow-up webinar here.
And if you can, donate to the Just Places project in Santa Cruz as they raise money and support to build housing for the people experiencing homelessness there. It’s an inspiring collaboration between some homelessness support groups and natural builders and we wish them success.
We also wish YOU a lovely month and if you ever find yourself near London (U.K.), San Francisco (California), or Green River (Utah) please let us know and let’s meet up!
With love,
The Last Straw Editorial Collective
DON’T MISS OUT, GET OUR LATEST MAGAZINE NOW!
The Last Straw Issue 76, on Natural Building Education
How do you learn natural building? How do you teach it? No one told us the one catch-all trick to natural building education, but in this issue our contributors trace the histories and present to figure out a way ahead.