Bucket Chute with Shoulder Strap

By now you’re probably getting excited like I am about using open weave mesh bags and tubes. I came up with this $10 solution for filling bags and tubes. It has a 3-gallon metal bucket chute with the bottom cut out and a heavy duty leather shoulder strap riveted on with three pop rivets per … Read more

Flattening Walls to Reduce Plaster Work

From time to time we answer reader’s questions. Paul: In the EcoOcha video I noticed they tamped the sides to reduce the ‘log cabin’ look and to reduce the amount of plaster required. This smoother surface would be much easier to plaster. Owen: Yes, more and more builders are flattening the walls like this to … Read more

Some Incredible Facts about Earthbag Building

Every day we hear good news about earthbag building and other types of sustainable building – new projects, new companies getting involved, and on and on. If you’re new to this site (both this site and my Earthbag House Plans site are experiencing record traffic), please browse through the information we’ve compiled. I think you’ll … Read more

Vote on my Earthbag Book

Comments closed: Everyone voted unanimously for the longer book, so that’s what I’ll do. Thanks for the input. My upcoming book on earthbag building – How to Build Vertical Earthbag Walls – is taking shape and hopefully will be ready in a few weeks. It’s turning out longer than expected. I was hoping for 50 … Read more

Fechin House

The Taos Art Museum and Fechin House in Taos, New Mexico is one of my favorite houses. World class artist Nicolai Fechin built the quintessential thick-walled adobe house for his family. It’s widely considered one of the best examples of southwest style architecture. You can stand at almost any place in the home, point your … Read more