Arch Entrance made with Earthbags

Here is an interesting use of earthbags to create a self-supporting  arched entrance to a park. This was reported in  Buffalo Rising of Buffalo, NY. It is part of the Street Synergy Community Garden (which was once a dumping ground), and was created by volunteers. They say that “It’s a solid, inexpensive, creative and earth-friendly … Read more

Bottle Walls

Embedding bottles in a wall creates a really stunning effect, especially when sunlight shines through bottles of different colors. However, many bottle walls are thin walls. Here are some suggestions for using bottles in wide earthbag walls: – Buy a bottle cutter or rent a wet tile cutter to remove the ends. Join bottles of … Read more

Radio Interview with Kelly Hart

In May of 2009, Kelly Hart was interviewed for nearly an hour by Veronica Entwistle for her “Paradigm Shifters” Radio Program, at www.bbsradio.com. Veronica and the station have been kind enough to allow you the opportunity of listening to some or all of this interview directly. Either the entire program, or specific aspects of sustainable … Read more

Urbancrete

My favorite low cost, sustainable foundation method is earthbags filled with gravel on a rubble trench (double-bagged for strength). But it’s always good to have options because each project is a little different. ‘Urbancrete’ is slang for old concrete that has been torn out. Flatwork slabs such as sidewalks and driveways work best. It can … Read more

Desert Submarines

Steve over at Utopia Springs sent me a link about a fascinating housing idea for desert areas. These structures stay cool in the desert (in the 60’s) using just evaporative cooling. The galvanized metal roof is covered with burlap, and water flows down over the top. A small RV pump is adequate to keep the … Read more

Earthbag Stairs

Earthbags have proven to be incredibly versatile. They can be used throughout your home for foundations, walls, benches, privacy walls and other uses. And let’s not forget about stairs. Think how much money you can save by using earthbags to build your stairs. And they’re sturdy, too. Here’s a picture of curved stairs. In the … Read more