Gimme Shelter

Erin Shaw
earthbag large.jpg

Earthbag building, one of the safest and most efficient methods of green construction, turns sandbags and barbed wire into the foundations of sustainable homes. The modest home plans require little or no energy for the transportation of materials and can be flood and earthquake safe. Although there is some engineering expertise involved, earthbags are a versatile alternative to other green building methods like rammed earth and adobe structures. The materials vary from polypropylene and burlap bags filled with adobe, concrete/sand mixtures, and other locally available filling. The bags are protected from water and sun damage by an outer coat of plaster, which gives the finished product a cozy earthen look. For a comprehensive look at earthbag construction, visit here. For a hands on approach, check out this Earthbag Building Workshop at the Source Farm Ecovillage:

March 5-17, 2009

Johnstown, Jamaica

Receive earthbag building certification in a course that includes the physics and geometry of domes and arches, plumbing and electricity, plaster application, solar and wind options, and permaculture design. Learn from the authors of "Earthbag Building: Tools, Tricksand Techniques."

Register before February 6; tuition is $1400.

USA
Dwight Shirley  

dwightshirley1(at)hotmail(dot)com

Jamaica  
Coda Phillips

codasourcefarmecovillage(at)yahoo(dot)com

Join the Source Farm mailing list for more info.

 

Story suggetsed by Nadia Blank. 

Comments

I can't wait to build one

Submitted by Alan Scheurman on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 15:47.

I can't wait to build one of these.  Not that I have any actual plans yet, but I've been reading about them. 

 

sing songs you are taught in dreams

alanscheurman.com 

Timber Framing

Submitted by zavier on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 18:31.
sandbags work in warm climates but do not provide enough insulation to pass building codes in colder climates. even if you think, "so i'll put on extra clothing, i don't care," the building inspectors still won't let you do it unless it's smaller than 12'x12' and you don't tell anyone you live there full time.

I think the cheapest building method is timber framing (also called "post and beam"). You can then insulate with cordwood, straw, trash etc. the insulation is irrelevant then, it's the frame that's important to the building inspectors. Unfortunately most timber framing methods involve complicated (and expensive wood cutting and joinery) and the one book I have seen that tried to simplify it ("Timber Framing for the Rest of Us" by the Earthwood people) was still too complicated for joe sixpack.

Will a carpenter please put up some simple timber framing instructions?

Fire?

Submitted by Michel P. Anderson on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 19:24.

Hi xavier,

What about fire codes? Can that be a problem for insulation materials.  Just curious.

 

source farm

Submitted by Lizz Blake on Wed, 02/04/2009 - 00:52.
I lived and worked on the Source Farm for 2 months. It is an amazingly beautiful and educational place to be! highly suggested...