“Designer Ryan Frank wanted a semi-mobile home for a small plot in a “sensitive area”. He thought about yurts and domes, but settled for an open source design he found online. Often called a “boathouse” or “gothic arch” structure, it was originally developed by a boat builder; it’s centerpiece are the wooden support ribs.
natural building
Better in Belize Earthbag House
“Tucked in to 130 acres of pristine rainforest in Cayo in Western Belize, our eco-community is located on the shores of one of Belize’s most spectacular waterways, “The Macal”, with its source high in the Mayan Mountains.”
Green Acres Organic Durian Eco-Retreat
“Last summer, my friend Ryan and I visited Green Acres, an eco-retreat center built on an organic durian farm. I’ve visited more than my share of pretty awesome durian farms, but right away I knew this solar-powered, off-the-grid farm was in another league of coolness.
Earthbag Rebuild Summit in Nepal
From the Earthbag Build Nepal facebook page:
Friday 4th September from 10 am to 5pm
This one day special event is aimed at concerned agencies and individuals who want to find an economical, environmentally friendly building solution that protects and saves lives.
The Summit will introduce you to earthbag building, inform you of why earthbag buildings survived the massive earthquakes of April & May 2015 and how you can utilise this earthquake resilient method in the reconstruction of Nepali schools, homes and businesses.
International guest speaker / Workshops / Discussion groups
Venue: Summit Hotel, Kopundol, Lalitpur
Workshop topics include:
Benefits of earthbag building
Earthquake strengthening & design
Best practices in earthbag building
Information on earthbag building materials
Nepal — Focus now on massive rebuild
“A Nelson trust’s humble earthbag school has gained international attention after it withstood the devastating Nepal earthquakes. Now, First Step Himalaya wants to use the earthbag technology in its work to rebuild the schools it supports in Nepal.
Bionic Soil: Turn Soil to Stone
I saw this on Facebook where someone said stabilizers aren’t necessary. That is usually the case. Compacted subsoil in earthbags covered with plaster is the norm. But there may be situations where stabilizers are beneficial such as in extremely wet areas. There’s even the possibility of making an earthbag stone wall without plaster using this type of construction. There’s also the option of spraying it on walls to create stone PISE. Let us know if you try this out.