Our forests are under increasing pressure to supply materials for a growing population. What would you rather have – healthy forests or poorly built, oversized, inefficient, wasteful housing? Time is running out for our remaining forests and so we need to look more closely at options that use less wood, and then, as a society … Read more
This Instructable includes complete step-by-step instructions on how to make an insulated earthbag foundation. You can use the same process to make insulated foundations for any type of structure – straw bale, earthbag, cordwood, etc. Yurts or gers are very efficient and practical in harsh, cold climates, as evidenced by centuries of use in Mongolia. … Read more
Here’s a nice project one of our readers sent in. Text below is from Birgit. “I just remembered I said I would send you a few pictures of my first experiment with lime mix earthbags here in Tanzania. So far they are “behaving” extremely well, and I am planning to do a “real” house in … Read more
We’ve been getting a fair number of inquiries from Nepal. It’s always great to hear from readers, but sometimes certain emails really stand out. This one really made my day. They sent some lovely project photos. Dear Sir, I am Narayan writing from Nepal. I am currently working in designing and building natural buildings in … Read more
Energy performance on most buildings can be improved with insulation, including those made of earth such as adobe and earthbag structures. Although most earthen structures are located in hot, dry climates, there is increasing demand for low-cost, eco-friendly earth building techniques in cold climates. This article explores four innovative methods for insulating earthbag buildings, which … Read more
I almost jumped out of my chair when I read about this ‘affordable housing’ project in Alaska. The estimated $220,000 cost for this home is “less than half of the cost of new homes recently built in the village.” It has 900 sq. ft. conditioned space, 1080 sq. ft. total. (That’s about $204/sq. ft.) I … Read more