[Note: This design was originally published shortly after the Pakistani earthquake in October, 2005. Even though the information is a little dated now, it gives you a sense of the urgency Kelly and I felt at the time.] The death toll mounts as winter closes in on the survivors of the recent earthquake in Pakistan. … Read more
Ever wonder how to build a simple home for very little money, without going into debt? Free articles on the Geiger Research Institute Publications page and articles here at EarthbagBuilding.com explain how to use low-cost, locally available natural materials such earth, small diameter wood and straw to keep expenses to a minimum. The real fun … Read more
Earthbag foundations offer many advantages over reinforced concrete foundations and work well with many types of sustainable buildings. In particular, they are low-cost, fast and easy to build, require no cement (a major expense and cause of global warming), and require no forms or expensive equipment. Earthbags are simply polypropylene sandbags (rice or feed bags, … Read more
This is how earthbag building started out decades ago — providing safe, bulletproof and bomb resistant shelters for the military that were fast and simple to construct. The same qualities that make earthbags useful for military and flood control purposes apply to building houses. This WWII photo from the UK is part of the … Read more