La Casa Vergara was designed by José Andrés Vallejo and built in Bogotá, Colombia in just 5 months, early in 2011.
I am delighted to see that professional architects are beginning to accept earthbag technology as a viable approach to building. La Casa Vergara is a fine example of an upscale home that is built by a professional crew, with solid engineering and with all of the amenities and refinements that you would expect in this class. The attention to finishes, flooring, light, and form make it an aesthetic journey just to browse the photo gallery.
I have assembled an extensive project page that reveals much about how it was actually constructed. There is very little descriptive text, so you have to study the images to follow the proceedures, but there is much to be learned from this project.
HOW CAN i PURCHASE THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR THE CASA VERGARA?
His website is http://arquitecturaenequilibrio.com/ and you should be able to contact him through that.
How big is this house? Square footage wise etc?
The architect’s website that featured this project is no longer active, so I am not sure about the size. My guess is that square footage is around 1500 sf, plus the open air roof deck.
I really like the La Casa Vergara windows. I like the hobbit look but those clean lines got my attention.
I am interested in building 2 or 3 connected domes with windows like these. I am not interested in building the other 2 box shaped rooms that come with this design.
Any idea where I can look at and buy building plans that will pass the building department in San Bernardino County, California?
Structure1.com is the only firm doing earthbag houses at this time that we know of. Find a plan you like or sketch out your ideas the best you can and send them a jpeg image for a quote.
The architect sells his plans for $2700.00, which I suppose is a fair deal. He also offers to provide assistance during the building via Skype.
This is beautifully done. It almost looks surreal with that color and design. It gives hope for what’s possible with a professional crew.
But then again the roughness of a natural home built by not-so professional owner/builder is also it’s beauty. Maybe love of the home is the key. :D
Interesting design. I especially like the use of light wells and skylights to minimize the need for lighting in the daytime. Having experienced one, however, reminds me that you even have some light filtering in at night, it is never truly dark. I noticed a few flaws during construction, but overall it is a well executed design.
Heh Paul, any idea what it cost?
Fantastic. This is definitely one of the best so far. I’ve added it to my Favorite Earthbag Projects. http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/my-favorite-earthbag-projects/
This is my favorite one to date. I’ve doodled many like this in theory, but seeing a pro one come to life is awesome! I really want to get started now.