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Saihate eco-village © 2013 Kien Hoang Le/ Agency Focus
Following Fukushima's tsunami in 2011, the Kosakai family moves out of Tokyo to the southern island of Kyushu.
On a hilly ground amidst orange/ citrus trees overlooking the sea, with the help of a few friends, they build the eco-village of Saihate, using the emergency of the post-nuclear era as catalyst to connect with a biological lifestyle.
© Hiroshi Manaka
Saihate village - building site © http://livingpermaculture.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html
With their organic volumes, some of the living spaces remind Nader Khalili's Earth dwellings, using the superadobe technology, a mixture of sand bags and earth.
The dome is being raised by digging earth underneath the ground to re-use it as building material, reducing the need for transporting goods.
Earth dwellings require low technical skills so that the all family can participate to the building process.
Saihate eco-village © 2013 Kien Hoang Le/ Agency Focus
In the same eco-process as Michael Reynolds's Earthships, tyres are used to structure the outer membrane of the building, saving the environment from the accumulation of non perishable (and highly available) waste.
Saihate eco-village © 2013 Kien Hoang Le/ Agency Focus
Beyond the survival endeavour, Saihate eco-village also is a creative/experimental/musical project : you can see more here
