We are first generation farmers, establishing a small organic farm high in the hills near Mudgee, Australia. Our tools of choice are permaculture, regenerative agriculture, a heap of gumption and a dash of social enterprise. We also teach permaculture, go look at amazing stuff being done elsewhere, and push our two-year old on the swing … Read more
“We fired fence posts and bricks from a blackpowder cannon into an EarthCo Megablock wall made from local earth and water. These walls were produced from highly shrinking-swelling clay subsoil which produces a very low quality wall, however our goal was to show that even a low quality EarthCo Megablock wall has the structural integrity … Read more
Yesterday’s video about How the Pyramids Were Built shows how loose limestone can be turned to stone. This method seems easier and simpler than using MICP, don’t you think? This seems like a good time to experiment with geopolymer cast stone to make the first ever earthbag stone dome. The mountain range near our home … Read more
Alternate title: How to Build an Earthbag House That Will Last as Long as the Pyramids. I can’t say for sure that the pyramids were built this way, but this video describes a reasonable theory of how the blocks of the pyramids were made with natural materials from the Giza Plateau – limestone, kaolin clay, … Read more
Here’s a natural substitute for steel rebar. It seems like this material would work perfectly with earthbag building, especially in seismic areas where additional reinforcing is typically required. Image and content below is from the Smarter Building Systems website. “Zeebars Basalt Rebar is an alternative to steel and fiberglass for reinforcing concrete. Made from volcanic … Read more
The subject of sun tubes or solar tube skylights keeps coming up in email exchanges with readers, because they’re often more efficient than conventional skylights. There are numerous competing brands and designs, but the basic concept is a skylight that directs light through a mirrored tube. Some designs like the Solatube skylight pictured above bend … Read more