There are lots of options for building insulated earthbag houses. At this time, scoria and pumice are my favorite. These materials are fireproof, rot proof, easy to work with, don’t attract pests, lightweight, etc. Kelly Hart pioneered the use of scoria bags in his dome home and carriage house in Colorado, and in my opinion … Read more
Many of our readers are dreaming of building a small, efficient, sustainable home that requires some sort of heating. A wood-fired cookstove is a good multi-functional option for heating, cooking and water heating. You may be able to save money by buying a smaller cookstove. Or consider a used stove of good quality because they … Read more
Just when you thought you’d seen it all, here’s a new way to insulate basement walls with foam glass by Misapor. More on this topic at my Geopolymer House Blog. (The same material can be used to make lightweight insulating plaster, concrete, etc.) “Until now, Misapor has mostly been known for providing horizontal insulation. Now … Read more
This house in Patagonia was built by Paul Coleman and his wife, Konomi. It features a double wall system that includes pumice from a dormant volcano. Five hundred tons of earth have been moved by hand and everything else that has been used to build the house has come up a very steep 150 meter … Read more
Why are you interested in building a home with earthbags? Obviously, everyone wants a comfortable, affordable, inviting home, but what is your main goal? Cost? For some, climate conditions such as cold weather, or heat and humidity may drive the design. Others want to keep the design as simple as possible so it doesn’t become … Read more
“A permaculture “living system” designed by architect Mishou Sanchez of (Transform Design Group) for The American Sudanese Partnerships to be constructed by using the SuperAdobe method of construction (Nader Khalili, CalEarth) which integrates The Permaculture Research Institutes’ method of desert gardening for humanitarian relief in Darfur, Sudan. The plan and volumes are straightforward, because I … Read more