Eco Domes: How to build your very own, sand bag, earth friendly shelter
Ranked #884 in Healthy Living, #20,172 overall
Very organic, free flowing, soothing feel to these houses.
Traditional shelters of this type seemed much more in tuned with the earth energies than our modern boxes of today, with their sharp corners and cold atmosphere, sealed windows and recycled air.
When you enter a round structure that rises directly up from the earth yet remains connected to it, you enter the very womb of Earth herself. Immediately, you feel "home," you feel protected, you feel the love of the place.
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Artist, Author, Self-publisher
Sketchblog: DancingBlender
Facebook page: RiverbyNight
Cal-Earth Institute
A quick overview
Cal-Earth stands for:THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF EARTH ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Cal-Earth is a non-profit foundation concentrating on this question: How to provide shelter for people of the world, particularly those who have no money?
Cal-Earth is at the cutting edge of Earth Art and Ceramic Architecture technologies today. Founded and directed by the internationally renowned architect and author Nader Khalili in 1986, it's scope spans technical innovations published by NASA for lunar base construction, to design and development of housing for the world's
Cal-Earth is dedicated to research and education of the public in environmentally oriented arts and architecture. It's philosophy is based on the equilibrium of the natural elements of earth, water, air, and fire, and their Unity at the service of the arts and humanity.
They provide an Apprenticeship Program so you can build your own home or help others build theirs.
Nader Khalili
Founder and visionary or Cal Earth Institute
NADER KHALILI, ARCHITECT AND HUMANITARIAN(1936-2008)
Nader Khalili developed the simple building technologies known as Superadobe (sandbags and barbed wire) and Ceramic Houses, using the freely available material of earth, for almost thirty years.
He took inspiration from Rumi, the 12th century mystic poet, who wrote in his native Persian language. He served as a consultant to the U.N. (UNIDO) and a contributor to NASA, as well as directing the Architectural Research Program (ARP) at SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture).
For his work in Earth and Ceramic Architecture since 1975, Khalili received awards from:
- CCAIA for "Excellence in Technology,"
- the U.N. and HUD for "Shelter for the Homeless,"
- ASCE (Aerospace Division) for his work in lunar base building technolory,
- and the Aga Khan award for architecture for "Sandbag Shelter Prototypes".
Nader Khalili has inspired a global movement and left a rich body of philosophy, design and innovative construction technology. His work is continued at Cal-Earth Institute, as the basis for its research and educational mission.
***information taken from Cal Earth Institute site, at CalEarth.org***
Book by Cal-Earth Press
Emergency Sandbag Shelter and Eco-Village: Manual-How to Build Your Own with Superadobe/Earthbags
Amazon Price: $22.75 (as of 02/15/2012)
How to build your own super adobe / sand bag shelter with over 700 photos and illustrations.
Other Books by Nader Khalili
Nader Khalili explains
Eco Domes in the Blogosphere
- Harvest Dome Artwork Could Get New Life After Being Washed Up on Rikers
- Instead, the group responsible for creating the dome made of recycled umbrellas have launched a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of raising the $7500 they need to get the eco-architectural sculpture to its intended home ? the Inwood Hill Park salt water ...
- Farm offers ideal venue to stage green weddings
- Now Beechenhill Farm has moved the game onward and upward ? with eco-weddings. And they are just one aspect of a raft of 'eco-tourism' services diversified into, offers ranging from stays in environmentally friendly accommodation to living on locally ...
- Rotating Eco-Friendly 'Domespace' in New Paltz, NY for $1.2 Million
- Designed to rotate away from the sun in the summer months and towards it in the winter, this dome home construct in New Paltz, New York serves as one of the more ingenious examples of green architecture currently on the market today.
Making the News
- Harvest Dome Artwork Could Get New Life After Being Washed Up on Rikers
- Instead, the group responsible for creating the dome made of recycled umbrellas have launched a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of raising the $7500 they need to get the eco-architectural sculpture to its intended home ? the Inwood Hill Park salt water ...
- Rotating Eco-Friendly 'Domespace' in New Paltz, NY for $1.2 Million
- Designed to rotate away from the sun in the summer months and towards it in the winter, this dome home construct in New Paltz, New York serves as one of the more ingenious examples of green architecture currently on the market today.
- Farm offers ideal venue to stage green weddings
- Now Beechenhill Farm has moved the game onward and upward ? with eco-weddings. And they are just one aspect of a raft of 'eco-tourism' services diversified into, offers ranging from stays in environmentally friendly accommodation to living on locally ...
Amazon Recommendations
If you loved Ceramic Houses and Earth Architecture: How to Build Your Own, you might also enjoy:
Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques (Natural Building Series) by Kaki Hunter, Donald Kiffmeyer
Over 70 percent of Americans cannot afford to own a more...1 point
Over 70 percent of Americans cannot afford to own a code-enforced, contractor-built home. This has led to widespread interest in using natural materials-straw, cob, and earth-for building homes and other buildings that are inexpensive, and that rely largely on labor rather than expensive and often environmentally-damaging outsourced materials.
Earthbag Building is the first comprehensive guide to all the tools, tricks, and techniques for building with bags filled with earth-or earthbags. Having been...
1 point
The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime, and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes (Natural Building Series) by Cedar Rose Guelberth, Dan Chiras
For builders of natural homes (straw bale, cob, adobe, more...1 point
For builders of natural homes (straw bale, cob, adobe, rammed earth, and other natural materials), this unique step-by-step guide takes the confusion out of choosing, mixing, and applying natural plasters.
From principles to practicalities, and with every stage of the process illustrated, The Natural Plasters Book details the entire process of plastering with earth, lime, and gypsum for a long-lasting and durable finish. Starting with an overview and history of the natural building movement, the...
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The Hand-Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage: The Real Goods Solar Living Book by Ianto Evans, Michael G. Smith, Linda Smiley
Are you ready for the Cob Cottage? This is a building more...1 point
Art of Natural Building
The Art of Natural Building is the encyclopedia of more...1 point
The Art of Natural Building is the encyclopedia of natural building for non-professionals as well as architects and designers. From straw bale and cob, to recycled concrete and salvaged materials, this anthology of articles from leaders in the field focuses on both the practical and the esthetic concerns of ecological building designs and techniques. Includes examples of diverse natural dwellings, from a Hybrid Hobbit House to a thatched studio and a cob office.
Catherine Wanek is the publisher and...
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Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks by Art Ludwig
A do-it-yourself guide to designing, building, and more...1 point
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earthybirthymama
Feb 10, 2012 @ 8:43 pm | delete
- I've always loved round homes. I could easily live in a yurt. Nice lense.
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Sunfish
Feb 14, 2012 @ 3:37 pm | delete
- Thank you. Yes, round homes have a totally different feeling haven't they.
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cffutah
Nov 26, 2011 @ 1:33 am | delete
- really enjoyed the videos, thank you, I enjoyed my visit here tonight.
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solarpowergoldcoast
Oct 14, 2011 @ 8:08 am | delete
- Amazing work you have done this would help so many people around the world to find good quality housing made from materials that won't emit toxic fumes! I will be looking to use these ideas for my project in Bangladesh. Thanks
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SereneSea
Sep 3, 2011 @ 12:10 pm | delete
- Love the idea of eco domes, hope to see more of these eco friendly houses.
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What is your impression of these Eco-dome houses?
Share your likes and dislikes.
With the understanding that we can include all the modern conveniences and luxuries we are accustomed to ( i.e. water, electricity, cable connection, internet, stove, etc.), natural building material offer a much healthier environment than most of our current toxic saturated and outgasing "modern" one.
From looking at the information provided here, would you consider living in an Eco-Dome if given the chance?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes / maybe. What attract you to these houses? What do you like about them? Have you actually been in one (or similar)? Tell us about your impressions.
cdevries says:
A very interesting building method! I can see where it could work very well in dry climates; it's like adobe without needing the block-making skills, though making or purchasing the bags has to increase the cost surely? What is the life-span of the bags? And, if used in a damper climate, how could they be effectively waterproofed? (Sorry, an architect, gotta ask questions.) Nice site!
Posted abril 01, 2011
Susanne_Iles says:
Yes! We've been looking to build our own home and art studio and have been considering cob. The Eco dome is an intriguing alternative and well worth looking into.
Posted agosto 23, 2009
greenmeds says:
Very ecoy, very homey... kind of a Tipi guy myself, but I've been thinking of getting into the whole Earth/cob/stonje construction thingy as well - nice place ya got here ^_~
Posted febrero 26, 2009
Catalysthere says:
It would have to be a very big one - I am claustraphobic. (did I spell that right?)
Posted agosto 26, 2008
No. What's keeping you? Doubts, mistrust, construction material, visual, etc. Tell us why.
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