“The small off-grid home we’re helping friends build here in the Appalachian foothills is getting a bunch of work done to it recently. The biggest task of the moment is building the earthbag stemwall, which we need to finish before … Continue reading →
“Sukalatti was built using the same amount of energy required to produce 50 bags of cement at the factory. Without the nylon shade net, producing a single bag of cement would consume more energy than the entire house.”
Continue reading →“There will be many who refuse to believe this will work. What no concrete? Will be their never-ending refrain. Concrete foundations have been around for less than a hundred years. Buildings have been built for millennia. In the eastern Mediterranean … Continue reading →
“In addition to the Durisol stem wall foundation, our project for the teachers’ union office includes two long sections of earthbag foundation to support the floor joist spans inside the building. The inherent insulation value of the Durisol blocks made … Continue reading →
Our focus here is on low cost, owner-built homes. From time to time it’s interesting to explore related ideas to see what’s available or going on. As we’ve reported before, there’s a whole industry that specializes in industrial earthbag projects … Continue reading →
“After the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB) was set up to protect people’s homes against extreme weather conditions. More recently with the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey, I am reminded of the value of homes and … Continue reading →