I love hearing about innovative natural building projects. Ed, a long time reader, sent me an update on his earthbag home in Ecuador. Ed is using confined earthbags that sit within a reinforced concrete frame. This is a good method for those who need to meet building code and for areas that are vulnerable to hurricanes and earthquakes.
earth building
Adobe Arts Center Workshop in Thailand
“Adobe Workshop 1st-8th April 2014 Chiang Mai, Thailand. contact 084-6084260
Rammed Earth Technique Developed by Mrinmayee Bangalore
The Rural Housing Knowledge Network featured in yesterday’s blog post is a treasure trove. I doubt most readers will spend an hour or more surfing the sites we profile, so I decided to feature one story on their website.
How to build with clay… and community
Oh my, what a story. I spent an hour clicking through his site looking at drawings and watching videos. The story keeps getting better the more you learn. Kéré’s work has depth and quality. He is very inspiring.
“Diébédo Francis Kéré knew exactly what he wanted to do when he got his degree in architecture… He wanted to go home to Gando in Burkina Faso, to help his neighbors reap the benefit of his education. In this charming talk, Kéré shows off some of the beautiful structures he’s helped to build in his small village in the years since then, including an award-winning primary school made from clay by the entire community.”
Taos Green Home 1
“Green home in Taos New Mexico, a look around the house and the area. Taos is known for innovative earth based building techniques and artistic lifestyles.”
Earthbag Dome Project in Thailand
“Rak Tamachat in Thailand is building a four dome cluster around a central pool designed as a natural pool. This is an ambitious project where you will see the complete build cycle from start to finish. To assist with that they are hiring a Thai work crew to help with the labor so that those who’ve come to learn can focus on learning the techniques involved and not just spend their time filling and tamping (although, there will be plenty of that). Everyone should get to experience setting of foundations, windows, doors, plumbing and electrical, exterior and interior plasters.