Casa de Lodo from Jay Eisenberg on Vimeo.
“Casa de Lodo is Spanish for “Mud House”. While working full time jobs the past year and a half we built this Dome. The building technique used is called “SuperAdobe”, it’s a form of earthbag architecture.
We used sandbags filled with moistened earth and arranged them in layers. Strands of barbed wire are placed between each layer of sandbag to act as both mortar and reinforcement. The structure was then plastered with cob (a mixture of sand, clay and straw). A living roof was then installed, by constructing terraces and adding soil and native plants.
The goal of this project was to create a home using recycled\sustainable material and to be as self-sufficient as possible. By building your own home you can eliminate the need for a mortgage. In turn you can work less and focus on spending more of your time doing the things you love.
This home is 113 sqft with a loft that fits a queen size bed. Attached is a bathroom equipped with hot water on demand and a composting toilet. For cooking, a propane grill and stove is used. Light is provided by a solar panel that charges a battery. The house is built with approximately 50 tons of dirt. It cost $6164 and took 1333 man hours to build. We created something out of this world and from the earth, and we hope we’ve inspired you to do the same!”
Thanks, Jay
Because it was under 120 square feet it’s considered a shed and no permit was obtained.
Interesting, I’m on the big island and thinking of trying wattle and daub because my 1/4 property has a lot of vegetation, including a lot of guava trees, grass and ferns. I plan to build a structure out of guava poles and weave some smaller branches between them, then try to plaster with dried grass sand and soil mix and thatch the roof with more large leaves.
That seems like an interesting plan. I’d be curious to see the results. On my property on BI I had no earth so it would all need to be brought on-site.
How did it manage the earthquakes of the 2018 flow? I’m on island and would love to talk story! Thanks for the inspiration bro! Aloha!
You might ask Jay this question on his Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/209843583
Just saw all these comments… No issues noticed after the earthquakes. I’m guessing since its connected to the earth it shook with it. Cal Earth did a study with an earthbag model to test it’s resistance to earthquakes. The testing apparatus failed before the model had any significant structural damage. Domes are the strongest shaped structures you can build.
How was getting a builders permit for this? And how much did it cost?
No way in hell that would pass code in Hawaii butt still cool
Here is a code permitted earthbag dome house in Hawaii: http://earthbagbuilding.com/projects/hawaii.htm
Where is the house. I am coming to Hawaii and would like to talk with you about the how’s & what’s…my hope is to construct an airecrete dome within the next 24 months on the big island…
Just saw this… Did you build an aircrete dome? I’m trying to attend a course this year. I’d like to try building one as well.
Please document your project and share the results. I’m sure there are thousands of earthbag projects that most people never hear about.