Earthbag Tube Forming Machine

I recently got an email from Steve Cameron with the sketch shown below that he had drawn of a concept for filling and forming earthbag tubing into a uniform rectangular form on the wall being built. Steve asked for any comments that I might have about this idea, so I wrote: This is certainly an … Read more

Using Earthbags as Ceiling Insulation

Owen and I have collaborated on a new article posted at earthbagbuilding.com that describes how to use earthbags filled with various natural insulating materials to insulate ceilings or roofs. There seems to be a general lack of interesting ceiling options using sustainable building materials. For instance, when touring otherwise beautiful straw bale homes one often … Read more

Earthbag Building in Haiti

I spent several hours working on this project page: http://earthbagbuilding.com/projects/haiti.htm I think it really is one of the best yet, because it shows the entire project from foundation to finish work on a simple home that would appeal to most people around the world; it was created by poor Haitians who had no prior experience; … Read more

Slide Show of Earthbag Buildings

I am very pleased to announce that there is now an extensive slide show of earthbag building projects up at www.earthbagbuilding.com. I spent several days selecting the best photos that I could find and formatting them to fluidly present a marvelous array of architectural styles and approaches to building with earthbags. There are already over … Read more

Earthbag Dome Building

Kelly Hart of GreenHomeBuilding.com has recently completed a web page with step-by-step instructions on earthbag dome building.   Complete with clear illustrations and detailed text, the instructions Kelly provides includes almost everything you need to know to build your own earthbag dome. Additional information is available at EarthbagBuilding.com and GreenHomeBuilding.com. A key advantage of Kelly … Read more

Emergency Shelter for Pakistan

[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