Rudrapur, in the northern part of Bangladesh is a typical Bangladeshi village. 1500 inhabitants on an area of 1485 km2.

Although the traditional building materials are highly sustainable, villagers have an increasing desire to build homes out of bricks, concrete, and corrugated iron sheet (CI sheet). The main reason for the bad image of earth and bamboo houses is the short

In traditional vernacular Bangladeshi architecture, the kitchen, the store and bathroom are housed in separate structures arranged around a central courtyard.

The inside of the houses is generally only used for storing items, sleeping and cooking during rainy season. other activities are done outside in the courtyard or on the veranda.

The sources of energy in Rudrapur are mainly based on physical work. Work or (un-) employment is often discussed from a social or economical perspective only, but it is also an energetic issue.

Traditional homestead.

Settlement pattern of the rural areas in Bangladesh: during rainy season approximately 70% of the country is flooded. In general the areas for infrastructure are built on filled up land, higher than the field level.

This trend away from traditional, natural building materials towards "modern" materials like concrete, burned bricks or C.I.Sheet could have a serious impact on the environment; fabrication of these materials requires a lot of energy and produces noxious

Land is precious in Bangladesh with a population density of about 1 000 inhabitants on one square kilometre. In general land is used very intensively in Rudrapur and the surrounding area and often has multiple functions. Streets for example are not only f

A further source of income is craftsmenship. The craftsmen in Rudrapur make the best out of existing materials - for example carpets from own jute fiber and Hindu statues out of clay. It is a good strategy to fabricate goods with high amount of labour wit

Another effect is the loss of cultural and regional identity.