Earthbag Experiment

This post is from a website called Hybrid Willows. It covers the construction of an experimental earthbag dome shelter.

Experimental Earthbag Dome Shelter
Experimental Earthbag Dome Shelter

In early 2009 I decided to try to build an earthbag dome shelter in the woods. Without much preparation or knowledge, I started in early May to clear and dig the site so I could fit the 12′ interior inside the dug area. My mission was simple: build something fast and simple, with very little input. I bought sandbags and plastic, but everything else I got out of a garbage ditch or in the forest. But then something happened that shattered my potential dome dreams. My window I had placed was not up to earthbag dome code and I paid the price for my thoughtlessness. It created a rumble in the jungle and I let out primal screams, as if I was a mystical creature in the woods on par with Bigfoot. Later, I had wished I had caught such a moment on video since my camera was close by. So with this disaster coming to the forefront, and me nearly out of time for the time allotted for this project, I scrapped my dome idea and got back to work. Instead of a dome, I made a flat roof with logs. Then put plastic on it and covered it in dirt. So if I shall become homeless, now I have a place to live out my life in seclusion. The end.

Image credit: Lance Kleckner

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