I’ve been reading about the building boom going on in Wyoming and the Dakotas from all the oil and gas exploration. There’s currently a severe shortage of affordable housing in the area. But the climate is very harsh and so conventional earthbag building is not so practical. We’re always searching for faster, easier, lower cost, … Read more
Background information from Wiki: Open Source Architecture “Open-source architecture (OSArc) is an emerging paradigm describing new procedures for the design, construction and operation of buildings, infrastructure and spaces… it describes an inclusive approach to spatial design, a collaborative use of design software… A contemporary form of open-source vernacular is the Open Architecture Network launched by … Read more
I see at least two main approaches to building a pit house with earthbags: 1. Mimic Mike Oehler’s greenhouse design using earthbags instead of poles and shoring. 2. Mimic conventional walipini pit greenhouses. That’s what I’ve chosen to do in the following drawing. It’s very similar to typical walipini’s, so follow the directions in the … Read more
“Sacred Garden Sanctuary is an intentional community dedicated to sustainable farming and lifestyle, on 40 acres of land located near Douglas, Arizona. We are currently planning to use a modified Cal-Earth (earth bag/tube) construction, after completing a trial dome. We plan to use a more inexpensive tubing material, which is used for onion sacks, rather … Read more
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