How to Build the Strongest Buildings That Can Last Centuries

Dustin: I live in Florida where few domestic buildings last more than 50 years because of hurricanes. I explored the Monolithic Dome for quite some time. They have stood the test of direct hits by very powerful hurricanes that leveled the entire neighborhood; except the dome. The dome is the only sensible structure here. No … Read more

Castle Tower House

The Castle Tower House is largely the same plan as the 2-story Roundhouse Above Survival Shelter with a crenellated roof design. In the earthbag castle I’m currently designing it’s used as a corner ‘watch tower’. Its primary function in ‘peace time’ is a guesthouse or office. Compare this version to the original plan to see … Read more

Hobbit House with Wood Shingles

My Hobbit House design was one of the top viewed earthbag plans last week, and one of the most common search terms, so I reworked the roof to incorporate wood shingles. The first version showed a living roof, but these take a lot of maintenance and require an expensive EPDM rubber membrane. A wood roof … Read more

Superadobeserrano Blog

Superadobeserrano is an Argentinian blog with lots of great photos. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t speak Spanish. Just copy and paste the text into free translation software such as Google Translate and you’ll soon understand what’s going on. I love the look they’re developing, especially the interior. Leo said the “cost of my roundhouse … Read more

More Insulated Earthbag Vault Designs

This is a fourth installment on earthbag vaults. Previous posts have already covered most of the details. This blog post presents two more options – living roof and thatch roof. The thatched roof is the simplest and fastest. The living roof is much more difficult and not recommended as a first time project. The roof … Read more

The Green School

Here’s some information that might prove inspirational if you’re incorporating bamboo into your earthbag design. Deep within the jungles of Bali, a school made entirely of bamboo seeks to train the next generations of leaders in sustainability. In a swath of jungle near Ubud, Bali, the Green School has just finished the second year of … Read more