German Association for Building with Earth

Children‘s Nursery Oranienburg-Eden, the single largest earth dome structure in Germany, by Prof. Dr. Gernot Minke. The entire building is ecologically planned with timber and earth as the primary building materials.
Children‘s Nursery Oranienburg-Eden, the single largest earth dome
structure in Germany, by Prof. Dr. Gernot Minke. The entire building is ecologically planned with timber and earth as the primary building materials.

“In a time in which environmental responsibility is becoming increasingly important, conservation of resources and environmentally sound construction methods are gaining in significance.

Today there is a demand for building materials which require little energy for their production, which are always recyclable and hygienically safe, and which also offer scope for creative design – modern building materials such as earth.

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Becky Bee’s Cob Builders Handbook

Cob Builders Handbook by Becky Bee
Cob Builders Handbook by Becky Bee

You Can Hand-Sculpt Your Own Home
“Cob (an old English word for lump) is old-fashioned concrete, made out of a mixture of clay, sand, and straw. Becky Bee’s manual is a friendly guide to making your own earth structure, with chapters on design, foundations, floors, windows and doors, finishes, and of course, making glorious cob. I believe that building with cob is a way to recreate community and experience the joy of working together while taking back the right to build our own homes and look after our Mother Earth. She loves doing something that makes sense in a world where lots of things don’t.”

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Soil Screening Machines

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuoCf8X12Qs&w=420&h=315] [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-VREBnm-W0&w=560&h=315] These screening machines are primarily for production earthbag builders and other natural builders who want to mechanize the building process for maximum efficiency. They are useful for screening soil for earthen plaster, earthen floors, straw/clay and, of course, soil for earthbags. One advantage is the ability to utilize soil from the … Read more

Nautilus Earthbuilding

“The nautilus was designed by Flo Kroll, architect Helene .v.d.Merwe, and Helena Wagener during the preparation of the Sustainable Built Environment conference 2005. The Nautilus integrates various earthbuilding methods, including sandbag, cob, adobe, and straw bale. Biomimicry – the application of evolutionary design intelligence to human needs, suggests that natural patterns can be usefully applied … Read more

The Earthbuilder’s Encyclopedia CD

Even though the Earthbuilder’s Encyclopedia CD covers adobe and rammed earth construction, earthbag builders will find lots of useful information. Lintels, bond beams, plasters, mixing, site preparation, attaching things to walls, design issues, etc. are all relevant since there’s so much in common. The CD is a compilation of years of Adobe Builder Magazine articles, … Read more