It took 2 years and 3.5 million pounds of dirt just to create the two-foot-thick rammed-earth walls of this 6,000-square-foot home designed by Lake Flato Architects for Ashlyn and Dan Perry outside of Marfa, Texas. “Part of the reason that rammed earth was the chosen construction method was due to the thermodynamic properties. Because of … Read more
Named TECLA, a combination of the words technology and clay, this home was designed by Mario Cucinella Architects in Italy and was constructed and engineered by Wasp using clay sourced from a nearby riverbed. It is formed of two connected dome-shaped volumes with a ribbed outer wall that is made up of 350 stacked layers. … Read more
Emanuele Almagioni wanted to build a home in a cold and windy, but very sunny, town high in the Italian Alps that would use the sun to provide all of its heating needs. With winter low temperatures reaching -25°C (-13°F) the home had to be tight enough to hold the heat but exposed enough to … Read more
Myk Brazier here – These are a few pics of the house we’ve been working on. I used Mike Oehler’s book as well as PAHS by John Hait (and a bunch of other stuff). But it’s basically what you’re calling WOFATI. We mixed and poured our own concrete foundation. This house is being built by … Read more
After spending years cycling around the world, Martijn Doolaard was ready for a more permanent home and he wanted something with a view. Remembering the rough beauty of the peaks of Dry from a bike trip, Doolaard discovered dozens of “dirt cheap” abandoned homes for sale and bought two at the top of a mountain … Read more
CalEarth has announced that after two years of research, testing, and fundraising they have been issued an ICC-ES number for SuperAdobe Cement Stabilized Earthbags! This is a major accomplishment as the report and supplemental testing data will reassure building departments of the compliance of SuperAdobe with the International Building Code. The report is free to … Read more