Earthbag Workshop in Missouri

Earthbag workshop with instructor Dan Payne, June 6–9, 2013, Bourbon, MO
Earthbag workshop with instructor Dan Payne, June 6–9, 2013, Bourbon, MO

Earthbag Construction: One of the most practical structures is a multi-purpose structure that can serve as emergency shelters, temporary or permanent housing, root cellars or any conceivable structure.

Read more

Earthbag Building in Vanautu

A group of economically displaced women are planning earthbag structures in Vanautu, in the South Pacific, the most disaster prone region in the world.
A group of economically displaced women are planning earthbag structures in Vanautu, in the South Pacific, the most disaster prone region in the world.

From Liz: “The Ernas Women’s Centre is a group of 66 displaced women from all over Vanuatu who have settled in the Erakor peninsula. They have no jobs to pay their children’s school fees so they sell food by the road side. They have a business co op that supports them in earning, saving and getting micro finance loans.

Read more

Permitted Earthbag Dome Home in Florida

Florida earthbag dome gains building permit
Florida earthbag dome gains building permit

Breaking news: an engineer in Florida has just gained approval for the first permitted earthbag dome in Florida. They charged only $800 and are eager to do more green building in the future. They modified my Enviro Dome design to meet Florida state building codes.

Read more

Trailer Houses versus Earthbag Building

I’ve been writing about the problems with building codes for a while now. Just for the record, I’m not 100% against codes. Limited codes can be beneficial, but the current situation is way over the top. This fact is well illustrated by comparing trailer houses (also called mobile homes) to buildings made of earthbags. A … Read more

HNC House Loft Detail

How do you get the most space for the least amount of money and yet still have a safe, durable, comfortable home? The two primary techniques we settled on in the HNC House design are large lofts and wrap-around porches. In the drawing above you can see how the lofts are built. The loft joists … Read more

HNC Earthbag House

“The Haitian National Congress (HNC) asked me to conduct training next May for bright and eager Haitian adult citizens who want to become entrepreneurs, nudge their country more toward functional democracy, learn problem solving skills and learn free enterprise practices that will increase their personal income. These trainees will then return to each of Haiti’s … Read more