I’ve had the pleasure to meet and train several hundred builders, architects and engineers in earthbag building techniques in Nepal. Even though I’ve been researching, working with and promoting earthbag building heavily since the Asian 2004 tsunami, it still amazes me how practical and efficient it is to build with earthbags. Here’s just a brief list of advantages that many people are not aware of.
affordable
Natural Building Blog — Number 2 on Google
Just for fun I did a search for the phrase “natural building” on Google, which is the world’s #1 search engine by far. The Wiki entry came up number one (as is often the case). Our Natural Building Blog is listed number two. Obviously we’ve come a long way over the last few years.
Escaping the Rent Trap – Simple Living In A Lotus Belle Tent
“If you’ve ever dreamed of living in a luxury tent in the forest, then this may just be the set-up for you! Over the last couple of months we have been flat out finishing the Lotus Belle tent and getting everything ready for me to move in. I’m happy to say that I’m now living in the tent full time, and it’s incredible! The Lotus Belle will be my home while I finish building the Tiny House.”
Culturally Sensitive Disaster Response Work
I had a great talk the other day with a freelance journalist who travels and documents things such as the earthquakes in Nepal. One of our common concerns is how NGOs, and foreigners in general, respond to disasters. Aid work is fraught with well-intentioned people and innovative solutions that often go terribly wrong. Remember the emergency food dropped to war refugees by US military planes? It was unrecognizable to them and so they ended up feeding most of it to their animals.
Earthbag Building – An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Unprecedented growth in earthbag building is being fueled by Nepal’s huge need for affordable housing and schools.
Cheap and Easy Solar Heater
“The unit takes one person two days to construct, one day to install, and costs under $100. The temperature inside the unit easily reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a 50-degree day, and can be blown into the house using a fan that pulls less electricity than a light bulb.”