I am pleased to announce that Owen Geiger’s Basic Earthbag Building DVD is finally available for purchase. It has taken more time than expected to complete the production, but it is well worth the wait I think. Owen is a natural teacher who understands how to present information in a clear and understandable way and … Read more
La Casa Vergara was designed by José Andrés Vallejo and built in Bogotá, Colombia in just 5 months, early in 2011. I am delighted to see that professional architects are beginning to accept earthbag technology as a viable approach to building. La Casa Vergara is a fine example of an upscale home that is built … Read more
After months of delays due to technical glitches, my new Basic Earthbag Building video will soon be available through Amazon. Special thanks to Kelly Hart, co-developer of this blog and EarthbagBuilding.com, for making the cover and steering the project through the final difficult stage. The first part of Basic Earthbag Building provides clear, simple explanations … Read more
I’ve been reading about the building boom going on in Wyoming and the Dakotas from all the oil and gas exploration. There’s currently a severe shortage of affordable housing in the area. But the climate is very harsh and so conventional earthbag building is not so practical. We’re always searching for faster, easier, lower cost, … Read more
I posted an idea for Insulated Earthbag Foundations for Yurts at Instructables.com. One reader who left a comment liked the idea, but needed a simpler design so he wouldn’t have to get a building permit. Here’s an idea for a very simple design that might get around building codes. Stack one course of earthbags in … Read more
I see at least two main approaches to building a pit house with earthbags: 1. Mimic Mike Oehler’s greenhouse design using earthbags instead of poles and shoring. 2. Mimic conventional walipini pit greenhouses. That’s what I’ve chosen to do in the following drawing. It’s very similar to typical walipini’s, so follow the directions in the … Read more