LandTrees, a Panama rental, agricultural and agrocultural tourism company, is building structures made of earthbags, adobe, rammed earth, bamboo and/or wood logs. Their EcoRanchos earthbag structures (see link below) have a construction permit issued by the authorities. As far as we know this is a first for earthbag structures in Panama. From Walter: “Majestic Dome” … Read more
An airlock entryway (vestibule) has two airtight doors that reduce the amount of air infiltration and heat loss when the exterior door is opened. They create a buffer area to block the wind and improve energy efficiency. Double door airlock entries are common features in energy-efficient homes in cold climates, but they also reduce air … Read more
“Engineering Ministries International is a non-profit organization of Christian design professionals. We provide engineering and architectural design for Christian ministries in the developing world. This past September our team conducted a construction training workshop for earthbag building. We also provided training in a thin shell latex concrete roof system called the HyPar, due to … Read more
Landscaping isn’t just for looks. Landscaping is very important for creating an inviting, appealing home. A nice yard will greatly moderate extremes in temperature and create a much more pleasant environment. I thought I’d share my experience of how my girlfriend and I have transformed our rather ordinary ranch style house by focusing on our … Read more
The blog post about my Hobbit House plan with second story open-air deck (scroll down to the fifth design) was very popular and so I decided to offer the same feature on my 33’ Roundhouses – both one and two bedroom versions. The concept is very simple – it’s easy to stay comfortable in hot … Read more
The folks at Our Little Thing blog have created a wonderful example of a pit greenhouse built with earthbags, PVC pipe, some wood, and plastic cover. This is the second one they have built, having learned many things from the first trial. In the harsh Patagonian climate, they plan to grow many things that are … Read more