Announcing a new open source project at Natural Building Blog with free plans available after completion of design. Please submit your suggestions below for an ultra low-cost, disaster resistant earthbag home for coastal areas that are vulnerable to hurricanes/cyclones and flooding.
Earthbag Building
Update on Confined Earthbag Building
I love hearing about innovative natural building projects. Ed, a long time reader, sent me an update on his earthbag home in Ecuador. Ed is using confined earthbags that sit within a reinforced concrete frame. This is a good method for those who need to meet building code and for areas that are vulnerable to hurricanes and earthquakes.
Vajra Azaya
“Building a better world… one community at a time. Sharing knowledge and pictures of community building and other Permaculture projects.
The Mlambe Earthbag Project
“Dear Owen, I thought I would drop you an email and just let you know our earthbag building in Malawi went very well! I believe it is the only development of its kind in the country. There is a summary of activities at The Mlambe Project website with photos. I am very grateful to you and the website. If there is anything I can do as a thank you- please just ask.”
Jamie
First Code Approved Scoria Bag Pole House
“About two years ago, my family purchased 11 acres in the north of New Zealand with the hopes of creating a family farm out of the empty paddocks. With a good pioneering spirit, we moved onto the land and lived in camper trailers for the first winter. It quickly became clear that we needed some better shelter, so we decided to build a cottage.
Adelia’s House
“In meetings with the community, getting feedback about the two completed constructions, and trying to decide on next steps forward, we learned that the super adobe style of building (soil stabilized with cement), although designed to be an affordable answer to the problem of durable housing, was still economically out of the reach of most people in Haiti, owing to the incredibly inflated cost of building materials.