Here is a short documentary about building an earth sheltered earthbag Hobbit house and being able to eat it too! Very Interesting. “It’s not what you own, it’s what you do with it.” This 300 sq. foot round hobbit house with living walls and roof garden only cost about $56 ($500 including plaster) even though it’s built to last centuries.
This project really made me smile. There are so many good points. I love the general design. He has a nice little rocket stove built from a propane gas bottle.
YouTube
Here’s the legal process he recommends to bypass building codes. Crown Land Patent and why you need one!
Hello,
I am about to start on our earthbag hobbit house on the south east side of a beautiful Limestone Bluff in Eastern Iowa. The location is perfect and is something I have wanted to do for years and just got a quote for a bale of bags to start the project. Looking at your video was inspiring! our location will allow us to integrate several boulders into the hobbit hole construction… Im just concerned about the water seeping in if I dont get it right. We will have to make sure that the walls are built so that water runoff falls away from the enclave and not towards it. We are considering opening up the property to campers that would enjoy the location and an opportunity to build the structure with a weekend stay or two once finished.. Looking to make this an investment in simple living for my senior years :)
Thanks for writing and glad to hear of your project. I was born in Burlington by the way and used to spend summers on the farm in that area. Two of my farmhouse designs are based on the regional architecture.
Basic tips: Build a good roof with roof overhangs, build on high ground that drains away in all directions, build a French drain in rainy climates, add 2-3 layers of 6-mil plastic sheeting around the base of the building (one against the building, one after partial backfilling/berming, and another one after that before adding final soil and grass. Clayey soil on the berm would help shed water better.
Wow you read my mind! I am planning on building a hobbit house with earthbags and wondering all day today if it would be ok to use posts or would just earthbags would be strong enough? I was also wondering about the roof. Thanks for the post!
Be curious to hear of your progress. doing the same