This article shines a light on four commonly employed structural systems in bamboo construction: The support system of a post and beam structure is composed of three key elements: vertical posts, horizontal beams, and cross-bracing. The latter helps to triangulate the structure, enhancing its stability against lateral loads such as winds and seismic forces. Usually, … Read more
This environmentally friendly house was built with durable, empty bags filled with raw earth. The structure employed rice bags with local soil from the site (with additives), along with barbwire acting as tensile strength. Earthen plaster was then applied to the exterior for a smooth finish. Earthbag construction has remarkable strength and longevity. It can … Read more
inhabitat.com presented a collection of eight small “earth homes that almost anyone can afford” and half of them are built with earthbags! La Casa Vergara’s dome shape may captivate the eye, but what’s underneath is most impressive. The Bogota home, built by architect Jose Andres Vallejo, is made from earthbags, or tubular bags stuffed with … Read more
Marc Berman at programminginsider.com has come up with a list of aspects of ecological home design that I think is worth sharing. Selecting the right site is the first step in the design process. Orientation: Take advantage of the sun’s path by orienting your home to maximize natural light and passive solar heating. Position windows … Read more
www.motherearthnews.com interviewed Sigi Koko for a podcast that you can hear at that link. Below are some of her comments: I have a graduate degree in architecture and I then had worked for a construction company doing just conventional housing construction to get some experience building so that I could talk to builders better and … Read more
Nick and Constance live on the Coast of Portugal with their three boys, two dogs and two cats. In this video they share how they built an extra room at the end of their already completed earthbag house. In 2020 they bought a piece of land on a north-east facing mountain and they have been … Read more