Old Cob Houses in New Zealand

Cliff, one of our readers, sent me these photos of old cob houses in New Zealand. They look really nice, especially considering their age. I knew New Zealand and Australia have a long history of building with earth, but I didn’t realize how well the buildings are holding up and how beautiful they are. The … Read more

Green Gate Farms

Green Gate Farms, a certified organic farm, was established by Skip Connett and Erin Flynn in a blighted neighborhood in east Austin in 2006. Working off-farm jobs to fund our efforts, we restored a historical farm site to create a community resource for neighbors of all incomes. Our vision is to cultivate a healthy farm … Read more

Free Economizer Earthbag House Plan

Specifications: 448 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 19′ x 31′ Description: This plan is designed to be compact and efficient. Most houses this size do not have as many features — washer/dryer, wood stove, and modern kitchen and bath. There are even two closets. An archway separates the bedroom from the main … Read more

Dirt-cheap Dirt Floors

David Easton, author of The Rammed Earth House and owner of Rammed Earth Works in California, shares his earth floor building method in Popular Science. Click link below for full article. “My family and I live in a beautiful earth home with a handsome earth floor. It may sound unbelievable, but as a successful builder … Read more

Earthbag Uganda

In Uganda, a meeting hall with open windows and doors is known by many names and dialects; tukulu (Ngakarimojong), and ot aperu (Luo) to name a few. This is an ancient, iconic structure, usually constructed in a round shape, but it can be shaped differently. The purpose and ambience of the building is more important … Read more

The Beauty of Earth Lodges

Earth lodges are just as beautiful and practical now as they have been for thousands of years. The above photo and videos provide a glimpse of what living in an earth lodge is like. They’re a good example of timeless beauty that will never go out of style. An earth lodge demonstrates what can be … Read more