The lightweight geopolymer earthbag method I described yesterday opens the door to building boulder houses that could last hundreds or even thousands of years. All sorts of other styles could also be built, but for some reason (maybe because rocks last almost forever) these boulder houses really capture my imagination. Worst case scenario is you … Read more
Maybe it’s all the freakish hurricanes, tornadoes and floods that have been occurring that got me thinking about how to increase storage space for emergency supplies. There have been countless cases of hard times in the past; times of plenty don’t last forever. Why not stock up on a few things as you see them … Read more
Low impact living is at the heart of what I’ve been doing for years. It’s what drives me and the content of my blogs, articles, books and house plans. Low impact living encompasses much more than just housing, although dirt cheap DIY housing paid with cash is a big part of the solution. Low impact … Read more
Specifications: 314 sq. ft. interior, 181 sq. ft. interior loft, total = 495 sq. ft. interior, Footprint: 23’ diameter This blog post is a continuation of the discussion about disaster resistant domes. So far we’ve talked about Hemispheric Domes and key ideas about How to Build the Strongest Buildings That Can Last Centuries. Wiki describes … Read more
Yesterday’s post was about the earthquake resistance of earthbags. Today’s post illustrates what an earthquake resistant gravel bag foundation looks like and explains why this design is so effective. Gravel is an ideal material for this application because it’s durable, reasonably inexpensive, readily available in most areas, has high bearing strength and prevents wicking of … Read more
Specifications: 1,127 sq. ft. interior living space, 441 sq. ft. interior greenhouse, total = 1,568 sq. ft. interior, Footprint: 36’x53’ As explained in the previous blog post, this modern solar pit house is based on the traditional pit house. The construction is much the same. Additional ‘modules’ have been added to create an elongated rectangular … Read more