The lightweight geopolymer earthbag method I described yesterday opens the door to building boulder houses that could last hundreds or even thousands of years. All sorts of other styles could also be built, but for some reason (maybe because rocks last almost forever) these boulder houses really capture my imagination. Worst case scenario is you tire of the look, but you’d have a rental unit for hundreds of years.
Image source: Eco Friend
Image source: Images AZ.com
Image source: Flicker
Related: The Timeless Appeal of Stone Houses
One thing to think about with this style is water infiltration. One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s contemporaries gave Fallingwater the nickname “Rising Mildew”, and when I visited, I could see why. There was water seeping in around the boulders/bedrock incorporated into the structure, to the point where there was a channel carved across a hallway floor to a drain.
Yes, water infiltration must always be taken into account, especially with designs like this. Geopolymer is up to the job, but it has to be applied correctly. Today’s post at Geopolymer Houses is on using geopolymer to seal swimming pools.
Start a community (gonna be needed anyway) and showcase all your ideas. Source of labor also as contracts could be worked out for ownership or citizenship in community. There will be so many people looking for like minded souls to help guide them through the coming changes. Community gardening and a roof over your head is a good start. Ha! I think Az is going to be the new west coast anyway..
Dammit Owen, there are only so many houses I can build for myself in this lifetime, yet you keep showing me more and more houses I want to build.
That seems like a bad thing, but over and over I end up here again!
Ha ha. I have the same problem. I want to do so many things to “show it works”, but I don’t have the time and money to do it all.