Month: January 2020

This was the second “Low Cost House Series” project, sponsored by Korea Child Fund to improve a living environment for low-income families. The house was situated in a small rural village of Jangheung town in southeastern province of Korean peninsula and was a home for a family of parents and five children. It was a very old and shabby building tilted to a side and stood right next to an unused cow house filled with the remains of cow waste attracting all sorts of flies and bugs. The surroundings were filthy, and the smell was appalling. However, the worst part of the house was ‘rats’, which literally occupied the whole building. It was the family who had to avoid the rats and find their own spaces. The rats were unafraid of men, and their exact numbers were never to be known. As such, an open outside toilet without walls was the least problem to the family. To them, this horrible living situation was somewhat regarded as something they had to live by.

The aim was to act respecting the current volumes of this old house, located close to the river in the village of Noutigos. Maintaining the stone facade, replacing the original windows in chestnut wood, we just only propose two new small and strategic openings in the south wall for their views and the natural light needed for specific locations. The new openings with iron frame and fixed glass contrast with the existing ones and which are treated with a chestnut wood.

There’s a lot we can do to make our landscapes more earth-friendly, from planting beneficial native plants to putting fallen leaves to work and making fresh water available to wildlife. We spoke with three experts in the field — Amanda Shipman of Aman…

Different cabinet surfaces require different cleaning techniques. Whether your cabinets are stained, painted or laminate, they all need special attention. Here are a few easy tips and cleaning recipes for keeping them looking their best.