I’ve often said roundhouses are the easiest, quickest way to build small houses. I did a quick search of roundhouses built with sustainable materials and was pretty amazed at all the possibilities. For instance, here’s a site with roundhouse photos.
Earthbag Building
Earthbag Women’s Centre in Vanuatu Withstands Category 5 Cyclone
Cyclone Pam, one of the worst cyclones ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean, blasted the island chain of Vanuatu with category 5 winds up to 185 miles per hour and 26 foot storm surge. The women’s earthbag center near Port Vila and the earthbag water tank made it through the storm with minimal damage, despite the widespread destruction in the region.
How to Calculate Tubing for an Earthbag Roundhouse
The following instructions are for calculating earthbag tubing in a roundhouse. For calculating the number of bags, go to How Many Bags Do I Need?
H.O.M.E.org
“We are H.O.M.E.Farm.org, a farm, homestead, permaculture demonstration site, and self-sufficiency classroom. H.O.M.E. is an acronym for Holistically Organized Multidisciplinary Endeavors. Quite a name, huh? We hope you can learn from us and share with us what you know, as we pursue our Homesteading Adventure.”
Bioconstruction Women of La Paz
“Women from La Paz filmed themselves and tell their story about them building houses for their marginal children.” Note the earthbag domes and cobblestone floors they are building. Their floor technique is particularly interesting.
How Long Does it Take to Build with Earthbags?
Lots of readers ask how long it takes to build with earthbags. Well, that’s difficult to answer because the strength of workers varies and every job is different. But it’s good to have an approximate figure to work with for planning purposes.