“Earthen floors are ubiquitous in most of the world. They are the most accessible type of flooring to a vast portion of the human population. In the modern world earthen floors are still something of an oddity to most people, that is until they step foot on one. And then they are hooked for life.
General
From Gotham to isolated, code & debt-free West Texas estate
“Seven years ago John Wells sold his heavily-mortgaged home in upstate New York and bought 40 acres in West Texas for $8000. The area (Brewster County) is so isolated there are no codes or zoning restrictions so Wells built his own tiny home (in 9 days with $1600) relying on his set-building experience.
Earthbag Room with Rocket Stove, Paperbag Floor & Pallet Ceiling Construction
“No more climbing the ladder every night up to his loft. Garen is all moved in and snug as a bug in his new room. Here are some new and improved ideas including an in-floor rocket mass heater (a new twist on a radiant heat floor), a construction paper floor, and a new twist on the pallet ceiling.”
No Need for AC in Earthbag Houses
Reader comment: “I love your designs! I do have a question:
We live in Tucson. Metropolitan area (but not TOO metropolitan) hot most days, hot most nights because the buildings and concrete absorb the heat and release it. It can get cold in the winter (though not much below freezing), but the main issue is the heat. What if we took one of these earthbag designs and just buried it?
Soddys
“The sod house or “soddy” was a successor to the log cabin during frontier settlement of Canada and the United States. The prairie lacked standard building materials such as wood or stone; however, sod from thickly-rooted prairie grass was abundant. Prairie grass had a much thicker, tougher root structure than modern landscaping grass.
Natural Building and Permaculture in Cuba
The recent normalization of relations between the US and Cuba has opened up travel opportunities in Cuba.