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

A Home with No House Payments

The number one barrier to home ownership is affordability. Many people can’t afford a home made with expensive modern materials, and bank financing. That’s why earthbag building, and natural building in general, is becoming so popular. Why not build it yourself – in stages if you have to – with low cost materials and pay … Read more

Escuela de Energia Solar

Escuela de energía solar (EES) is an independent solar energy school to provide solar energy education oriented to Spanish speaking people. Our mission in EES is to teach and train people with basic school background or more to design, install and maintain solar energy systems and other renewable energy technologies. We also train in the … 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

Tiny Earthbag Homes

“Constructing an earthbag home is considered by many to be the most inexpensive method of building a home simply because the material is free and usually already onsite. The major cost associated with earthbag homes are the bags used to hold the earth which makes up the structure. The most common type of bags used … Read more