Breaking news. This just in from Brandon Ross, P.E. whose team has just completed an earthbag wind test in Florida. Text is from his preliminary report. Final results are expected to be published in a few months. “The University of Florida chapter of Engineers Without Borders has completed wind testing of an earthbag wall. The … Read more
I posed the following questions to Darlene Yarbrough, a real estate agent in Crestone, Colorado to get her response: Our readers are interested in low cost land with minimal code restrictions for building earthbag houses. Could you point to areas near Crestone where this is feasible, and the approximate cost per acre. And could you … Read more
This anonymous post comes from someone who’s fed up with intrusive government regulations that dictate how you can build on your own property. Disclaimer: We are not advocating breaking the law and are not responsible for anyone acting on the following experience of this outlaw builder. Your project could be tagged with a cease work … Read more
I just received this rather urgent email from a family in Maryland. They need a licensed contractor immediately. Please email me from our About Us page if you are able to help and I will put you in contact. “My family is in a fix. We have sixty days to move out of our current … Read more
Gayle Fleming at EcoGayle’s Blog recommended an article in the New York Times that addresses the effectiveness of passive homes: Can We Build in a Brighter Shade of Green? The New York Times article chronicles the experiences of Barbara and Steven Landau, who are building a 2,000 sq. ft. house to the passive-house standard in … Read more
While Owen and I often point out the problems associated with dealing with codes and the officials who administer them, the flip side of this is that establishing a good relationship with the building authorities can make projects possible that would otherwise be denied. Building codes do generally allow alternatives to the common methods of … Read more