I recently received this message from Patti Stouter, who has been a long time advocate and experimenter with earthbags and other natural technologies, especially as a means for surviving earthquakes and other calamities: I am beginning a test shelter project of straw wattle that may be helpful in both Ukraine and Turkey, so this report … Read more
A Cob Construction Appendix has recently been approved for inclusion in the International Residential Building codes in the United States and a number of other countries. The new code requires builders to test their cob mixes for shrinkage, compressive strength, and, in some cases, modulus of rupture. The shrinkage test is the most straightforward and … Read more
You hear a lot about mass timber these days. Mass timber consists of engineered and compressed layers of young wood that are glued together for strength to create larger panels and beams. You can create larger beams and have more flexibility with mass timber. Depending on the engineering technique used, mass timber can be called … Read more
Inspired by the church missions built in the 18th century in California, Dave Wills thought “If they can last that long, it must be a solid way to build,” explaining why he looked into rammed earth to build his dream home in Philomath, Oregon. The walls are made from earth from a nearby quarry, a … Read more
The Strawtegi CO2ttage broke ground in October, 2021, as the first permitted structure in the U.S. insulated with dense-packed chopped straw. This net-zero carbon, modular, straw panel Accessory Dwelling Unit in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the first demonstration project and test build of Strawtegi, Inc. The 650 square foot building demonstrates how we can … Read more
The Earth Building Academy is offering a new three month round of online courses starting February 20th. This includes: 30+ hours of pre-recorded lectures and hands-on demonstrations, which you can implement directly on your own projects; weekly 60-90 minute live group calls for Q&A’s and consultancy; 2 live hands-on workshops via zoom where you can … Read more