Before Owen died, he got this email: Dear Owen, I just heard that you’re not so well. I just wanted to show you a pic of the Hyperadobe earthbag building that YOU inspired me to build. I will be forever grateful. It’s not finished yet…2 more layers of lime casein paint on the exterior, and finish … Read more
Some years ago I noticed a house in the middle of the road. I didn’t remember a house being there and thought that I was seeing a strange mirage. The closer I got, the more real it appeared, until I was forced to slow down and drive around the thing, at which point there was … Read more
In 2018 Builders Without Borders and the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation built the first straw bale house in Nepal. They collected loose straw and compacted it into bales using a steel mold and a farm jack.The bales were placed on a cemented stone foundation.Then the bales were held in place with external bamboo pins.A … Read more
This article by Kyle Chandler-Isacksen can be found in its entirety at www.motherearthnews.com It is about building with earth and is his Top Tip for regenerative living. By earth I mean clay-rich soils and sand. Building with earth falls under the broader umbrella of natural building and the even bigger one of green building. For this article, … Read more
Around 1997, when my wife and I first came to Crestone, Colorado, there was a buzz going around town about an amazing new building material that its inventor, Mike McCain, called “fibrous cement,” but that has become more widely known as “papercrete.” Mike, with his tremendous enthusiasm, was generating interest in the wonders of his … Read more
Using the sun to heat your house has got to be the most economical and ecologically benign way to keep comfortable when the temperatures drop. There are a number of common strategies for doing this. My favorite method is passive solar design, where there are no “active” fans or pumps to contend with. Most passive … Read more