Inside the adobe home he built himself in Hepburn Springs, a spa town in the southern Australian state of Victoria, Mr. Holmgren, 63, is putting his words into practice. Image Mr. Holmgren describes his newest book, “RetroSuburbia: The Downshifter’s Guide,” as part manual and part manifesto. Frugal hedonism is our approach.”That approach is seen throughout his home. Excluding rice, coconut cream and his favorite soy sauce, everything Mr. Holmgren eats is grown on the property. The house, known as Melliodora — a local variety of eucalyptus — is powered by solar energy and cooled, he explained, through passive design, not air-conditioning.

Source: New York Times May 13, 2018 20:26 UTC