Best Building System for Florida

Email question: “We are in the process of relocating to NE Florida, and would like to build a home with alternative building materials. It would seem that straw bale homes are not the best solution for Zone 9 [ed: due to risk of moisture damage]. What is your recommendation for the best building material, based on climate/humidity in the NE Florida coast? Is earthbag the best?”

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Casa de Tierra

Casita Melanie earthbag house in Nicaragua
Casita Melanie earthbag house in Nicaragua

“In April 2011, Casa de Tierra broke ground for a guest house on client Melanie Hamilton’s land in San Juan del Sur. Melanie has visited Nicaragua many times over the past decade, and was ready to lay down roots, and build an ecologically-friendly home.

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Confined Earthbag Construction

Confined earthbag construction
Confined earthbag construction

Confined masonry is one of the most common building systems in the world, with millions of structures built this way. The first confined earthbag house is now under construction in Ecuador.

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Final Vanuatu Drawings

Earthbag house design for Vanuatu
Earthbag house design for Vanuatu

The project in Vanuatu is moving along. Here are the final drawings. We modified my $300 Earthbag House design to meet the needs of locals in Vanuatu. The houses are clustered, two rooms have been added in each house, the porch enclosed and a common outdoor work area included.

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