I reported on the Underground Cities of Cappadocia back in 2014. What I didn’t realize then was how vast these underground cities are. There is a network of over 200 underground cities in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Some of these cities are at least 11 levels deep (total of over 200 feet deep) according to National Geographic. Scientists are not sure how they were built.
earth houses
The Architecture of Mud
Excellent documentary of adobe houses in Yemen. Highly recommended. This could be considered a must see video for serious natural builders and architects. The next time somebody asks me “Can you build more than one story with earthbags?” I should send them this link.
Earth Building Methods
Earth Building in Thailand
Interview with Peggy Reents and Thana Joe Uthaipattrakoon (nickname Joe). Owen: I first heard about earth building in Thailand from Janell Kapoor of Kleiwerks International fame who said there are thousands of new earthen houses in Thailand. That really amazed me and so I’ve set out to learn the details about the modern earth building … Read more
My Favorite Digging Tools
Grub hoes and grape hoes are my favorite digging tools. Shovels work fine with loose material such as gravel and sand, but it’s rather difficult digging clayey soil such as road base with shovels. One of these hoes, however, can cut right into the soil and readily pull the material into buckets without lifting. Think … Read more
What if You Can’t Make it to a Workshop?
Perhaps workshop fees and travel expenses are not affordable, or maybe you’re busy doing other things and can’t make it to an earthbag workshop. That’s okay because we provide almost everything you need for free on our websites. You could get started without a workshop by following my step-by-step videos, www.youtube.com/user/naturalhouses, reading our websites and … Read more