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Local Materials Only: The 100-Mile House

The food-based locavore movement is maybe best defined by the “100-Mile Diet,” which involves eating only what’s available in your region. Now, that concept is being applied to architecture with the “100-Mile House,” an approach to homebuilding that involves using only materials available in your immediate environment (duh). 

The idea is being promoted by the 100 Mile House competition, which challenges architects, designers and students to design a 1,200-square-foot house “using only materials and systems made/manufactured/recycled within 100 miles of the City of Vancouver.” We’re guessing the entries will involve plenty of cedar. 

Don’t live in Vancouver? No matter. The competition, which is sponsored by the Architecture Foundation of British Columbia, is open to all — even if you live outside the city’s 100-mile radius. 

Photo: The Kiltro house in Chile, built using local materials. (via Inhabitat)

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