This video shows how a straw bale house in Thailand might be built. There are a number of unique aspects that are different from the standard approach in the Western world, so things can be learned that might be useful. I didn’t notice anything that would raise a red flag in my mind. You can … Read more
Mark Clipsham has come up with some new plans for affordable grain bin houses. According to Mark, the basic construction of these homes is fast and DIY friendly. There is no concrete foundation wall – the home’s wall construction is the same from the footing to the roof. They are monolithic/continuous, field-formed, self-supporting SIPs (no … Read more
Architect, artist, designer Julio Garcia had been designing plans for shipping container homes for a decade before he found the perfect place to build one: on a long, narrow stretch of his property in Savannah, Georgia. “I’m a big believer we should be adapting to the environment… I remember walking out and looking at the … Read more
Below is an excerpt from Home Work: Hand Built Shelter (Shelter Publications, 2004) by Lloyd Kahn. This book features more than 1,500 photos that illustrate various innovative architectural styles and natural building materials such as cob, papercrete, bamboo, adobe, strawbale, timber framing and earthbags. If you love fine, fun or funky buildings, you will enjoy … Read more
Michael G. Smith has been the expert on cob and light straw/clay use at greenhomebuilding.com for nearly two decades, and has answered innumerable questions on these topics, most of which are posted on the website. In response to a question about using light straw/clay for a particular application, he wrote: Another possible solution, that I … Read more
I recently got this email from Steven Green: “I built a 10 meter earthbag roundhouse with the open air patio in Chaing Rai, Thailand. I bought the plans from Owen Geiger. In the cold season it is OK, a bit stuffy but warmer than outside. But now I’m suffering in the hot season. In the … Read more