A house made of newspapers hardly sounds like a safe place to be when a storm hits, but our next story will prove this preconception wrong. Two years ago, a Canadian built a brick hut in Pingtung simply out of newspaper pulp and cement. Although the area has since been ravaged by Typhoon Morokat, a major earthquake and a severe flood, today the house still stands as strong as ever.

The white European-style house with an angled roof was built by a Canadian man who married a Taiwanese woman.

John built the house without a single brick or tile, and without laying a foundation.

The entire structure was built from bricks made of newspaper pulp and cement, and was completed in April 2009.

Despite the unusual construction materials, the house has withstood Typhoon Morakot, the Chiahsien Earthquake, and 919 flood just fine. John is proud of the home he built, saying that he wanted to create a home that was eco-friendly.

To make the paper pulp bricks waterproof, he coated them with imported silicon paint.

The paint also provided the additional benefits of making the bricks soundproof and insulating against heat.

John says that he would be happy to share his experiences and help create a more environmental, aesthetic, and sturdy Taiwan.