On Christmas Eve, I noticed rows of cypress tree branches for sale along the roadside. It made me wonder: how many trees are cut down every year for Christmas celebrations? The alternative, artificial Christmas trees, isn’t much better. Many are decorated with synthetic ornaments, some containing toxic materials, and are discarded after the season. The result? An estimated 3 million tons of extra waste is generated annually during the Christmas period, including artificial trees, decorations, and surplus food. Worse, producing a single artificial tree emits around 88 pounds of carbon dioxide.
It’s essential to recognize that our environment is alive—trees, forests, and hills are part of a living ecosystem. This prompted me to ask: is there a sustainable way to celebrate with a Christmas tree? Can we decorate in ways that leave no negative impact on nature?
While exploring solutions, I discovered the concept of a “Tree Without a Tree.” Christmas is a season of love and giving. Let’s extend that love and gratitude to our closest neighbor—the environment—and celebrate responsibly.
twigs
straws
Popsicle sticks
gunny thread
flour dough
pressed flowers/leaves
skeleton leaves
seeds
recycled paper/board
elephant dung paper
wooden bead
egg carton/shells
magazines
paper twine
tissue rolls/paper
coconut husk
feather
Casa de Silva
Architects: Iconcast Chartered Architects
Location: Malabe, Sri Lanka
Project Year: 2021
Photographer: Ganidu Balasuriya
The site is a 19 perch land located in a residential suburb of Colombo. Despite its vicinity to green paddy fields; three sides of the site were contained by two storied houses and the access road was on the west face.
This was to become the home for a young family with working parents; both the owners drive to Colombo for work from their home at Malabe; and from the onset they wanted an extent of privacy that would still allow them to enjoy the outdoors. The site offered no direction to open the house out to yet its shape and size lent itself to the idea of a courtyard house.
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Feb 6
The Colour Burst House
Architects: LIJO.RENY.architects
Lead Architects: Reny Lijo & Lijo Jos
Location: Kerala, India
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Praveen Mohandas
We want to enjoy the rain, from every room of our house”, was the initial statement made by the clients in their project brief.”The Color Burst House” was the result, and it included three enormous, double-height open to sky courtyards that all of the main rooms could open into, allowing the occupants to enjoy the rain, light and breeze with the changing seasons from the comfort of their rooms.
#architecturelovers #ArchitecturalDesign #architecturelovers #architects #architecturedaily #design #Archilovers #BuildingDesign #ArchitecturalPhotography #ModernArchitecture #ArchitecturePhotography #ArchViz #InteriorArchitecture #Cityscape #UrbanArchitecture #InteriorDesign #DesignInspiration #LandscapeArchitecture #architecturaldetails
Feb 5
Giving Back to Nature at Diyasaru Park, Thalawathugoda!
As part of the Tree Without a Tree competition, we proudly donated trees and fertilizers to support the green initiatives at Diyasaru Park. 🌱✨
This effort is a step toward fostering a sustainable future while honoring our commitment to the environment. A heartfelt thank you to all participants and supporters who made this possible. 💚
Let’s continue to grow and give back to nature together!
#TreeWithoutATree #TreeDonation #DiyasaruPark #Sustainability #Archalley #GreenInitiative
Jan 27
Keeping Our Promise!
We are proud to announce that we have handed over the contribution to SOS Children’s Villages as part of the Tree Without a Tree competition. 💚
A heartfelt thank you to all participants and supporters for helping us make a meaningful impact this Christmas. Together, we are fostering creativity, sustainability, and compassion. 🌿✨
Let’s continue to inspire positive change—one step at a time.
#TreeWithoutATree #SustainableChristmas #GivingBack #Archalley #SOSChildrensVillages
Jan 27
1st Place Winner
Congratulations to the Methodist Church Youth - Seeduwa for winning 1st place in the `Tree Without a Tree` competition 2024!
Their tree, crafted from coconut shell pieces, impressed the judges with its creativity and teamwork.
#Archalley #ChristmasTreeChallenge #Sustainable #Creativity
Jan 10
2nd Place Winner
Congratulations to Pasindu Kithmina for earning 2nd place in the `Tree Without a Tree` competition 2024 with his inspiring and thoughtful design!
#Archalley #ChristmasTreeChallenge #Sustainable #Creativity
Jan 10
3rd Place Winner
Congratulations to KWCA - Kosala Weerasekara Chartered Architects for earning 3rd place in the `Tree Without a Tree` competition 2024 with their inspiring and out of the box design!
#Archalley #ChristmasTreeChallenge #Sustainable #Creativity
Jan 10
Congratulations to Rashane Fernando for winning the vote race and earning the title of Most Popular in the `Tree Without a Tree` competition 2024!
#Archalley #ChristmasTreeChallenge #Sustainable #Creativity
Jan 10
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