Earthbag Homes

Ranked #582 in Healthy Living, #13,471 overall

Earthbag Houses

Earthbag buildings are environmentally friendly, eco-conscious, energy efficient buildings that are built out of bags of earth, stacked in certain patterns and on a solid foundation. Because of their design they easily make good use of passive solar heat.

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What do you think of Earthbag homes?

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I like them and the idea.

Dean says:

I would love to know where I can purchase bags " in Australia " to build an Earth dome house.. email me on drifter0275@hotmail.com

Thanks
Dean

Justin says:

Great! My buddy is literally buying 1000 bags today!

susan300 says:

I think they're neat, and I'd like to try to build one. :)

bejeezers says:

These look amazing.

RenaissanceWoman2010 says:

I think they allow 1,000% creativity in form and function. Very cool! I could easily live in one.

sagebrush_mama says:

I grew up in a similar home, a "stack sack" home, designed by my Dad...the burlap bags were filled with concrete, and stacked. One very unique element is the ability to have a curve in the wall, whereas block would not bend. Interesting lens, I will add to my favorites so I can re-visit!

EmmaCooper says:

I think they're beautiful :)

mayapearl says:

I only recently came across this idea on a british tv show , it was used for an architect designed house that needed heavy insulation from noise as the house was adjacent to a railway line. I would love to try it out, it is inexpensive and does not seem to need great buiding skills [I don't have any]!
Thank you for your lens, 5* and I will feature it on my blog www.greenlivingtemple.com as well.

Theresa says:

I want one!

Graceonline says:

Love the concept. Nader Khalili, the architect who developed the earthbag concept, is teaching people around the world how to construct emergency shelters quickly with dirt, sandbags and barbed wire, but his homes are beautiful. You can see examples on the CalEarth website: http://tinyurl.com/bzayr9

I don't like them or the idea.

mihgasper says:

Not sure if I am skillful enough to become a builder...

 
view all 13 comments

Videos

Earthbag Building: Building with Bags
by hartworks7 | video info

52 ratings | 74,810 views
curated content from YouTube
Earthbag House in the woods
by packymck | video info

109 ratings | 55,808 views
curated content from YouTube
earthbag first corner
by Delas1 | video info

6 ratings | 6,546 views
curated content from YouTube

Pictures

HUT by rox sm
Lama Dome 12-2008 12 by diamondmountain
Lama Dome 12-2008 11 by diamondmountain
Lama Dome 12-2008 10 by diamondmountain
Lama Dome 12-2008 5 by diamondmountain
Lama Dome 12-2008 6 by diamondmountain
Lama Dome 12-2008 9 by diamondmountain
Lama Dome 12-2008 7 by diamondmountain
Lama Dome 12-2008 8 by diamondmountain
Entrance Revealed by diamondmountain
Skylight by diamondmountain
Strawberry Block by diamondmountain
Bert's Eye View by diamondmountain
Vaulting Aesthetics by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Dome Progress 12/07 by diamondmountain
Bedroom by Jan Tik
Sun Room Entrance by Jan Tik
P1010604 - Version 2 by Bomun
earthbagwall by appropedia
Earthbag/Adobe by Jan Tik
Office by Jan Tik
Open Hut by Jan Tik
Strong Wall by Jan Tik
Earthbag Dog by Jan Tik
Another Example by Jan Tik
Building in Progress by Jan Tik
Village by Jan Tik
Sleeping Space by Jan Tik
Strong by Jan Tik
Children at Village by Jan Tik
Ceramic Dome by Jan Tik
Bag Vault by Jan Tik
Inside by Jan Tik
Dome by Jan Tik
Village Drinking Fountain by Jan Tik
Enter Here by Jan Tik
Earthbag Architecture 1 by Jan Tik
automatically generated by Flickr

Vertical Wall Earthbag Home 

Small Dome 

Complex Dome 

Earthbag Buddhist Hermitage Building 

Earthbag Home 

Earthbag Sun Building 

Earthbag Dome 

Vertical Wall Earthbag Home 

Earthbag School 

Earthbag Library :-) 

Books

Earthbag Building

Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques (Natural Building Series)

Amazon Price: $18.03 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $29.95
Used Price: $18.00

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 introduced to sandbag construction by the renowned Nader Khalili in 1993, the authors developed this "Flexible Form Rammed Earth Technique" over the last decade. A reliable method for constructing homes, outbuildings, garden walls and much more, this enduring, tree-free architecture can also be used to create arched and domed structures of great beauty-in any region, and at home, in developing countries, or in emergency relief work.

This profusely illustrated guide first discusses the many merits of earthbag construction, and then leads the reader through the key elements of an earthbag building:
Special design considerations
Foundations, walls and floors
Electrical, plumbing and shelving
Lintels, windows and door installations
Roofs, arches and domes
Exterior and interior plasters.

With dedicated sections on costs, making your own specialized tools, and building code considerations, as well as a complete resources guide, Earthbag Building is the long-awaited, definitive guide to this uniquely pleasing construction style.

Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer have been involved in the construction industry for the last 20 years, specializing in affordable, low-tech, low-impact building methods that are as natural as possible. They developed the "Flexible Form Rammed Earth Technique" of building affordably with earthbags and have taught the subject and contributed their expertise to several books and journals on natural building.

Building With Earth

Building With Earth: A Guide to Flexible-Form Earthbag Construction (A Real Goods Solar Living Book)

Amazon Price: $149.44 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $24.95
Used Price: $39.00

This is the first book published about earthbag building, and still one of the best.

Sandbag Shelter

Emergency Sandbag Shelter and Eco-Village Manual - How to Build Your Own with Superadobe / Earthbag over 700 photos & illustrations

Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now
List Price:
Used Price: $29.95

The book, with over 700 photos and illustrations, shows how to use sandbags and barbed wire, the materials of war, for peaceful purposes as the new invention known as Superadobe or earth-bag, which can shelter millions of people around the globe as a temporary as well as permanent housing solution. This affordable, sel-help, sustainable, and disaster resistant structural system is a spin off from Khalili's presentation to NASA for habitat on the moon and Mars, which successfully passed rigorous tests for strict California earthquake building codes.

Ceramic Houses and Earth Architecture: How to Build Your Own

Ceramic Houses and Earth Architecture: How to Build Your Own

Amazon Price: $17.78 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

How-to-build step by step an adobe and ceramic architecture that is affordable and self-help. How to build arches, vaults, domes, and utilize the natural energy of wind, sun-and-shade to help save forests and create a sustainable architecture. How to fire and glaze an entire building after it is constructed from clay-earth on site. A NEW UPDATE CHAPTER introducing the Superadobe technology, building with almost any on-site soil using earthbags and barbed wire.

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Construction Method

The basic construction method begins by digging a trench down to undisturbed mineral subsoil. In this is placed a foundation, consisting of a row of woven bags or tubes, filled with the material of choice. On top of these, one or more strands of four-pronged barbed wire are placed, which dig into the bag's weave and prevent slippage between it and subsequent bag rows or layers. On top of the barbed layer, the next row of bags (or tube) is placed (offset by half a bag width to form a staggered pattern), either to be prefilled with material and hoisted up, or filled "in place", particularly for the tube style Superadobe. The weight of this earth/sand-filled bag pushes down on the barbed wire strands, locking the bag in place on the row below. The same process continues layer upon layer, to form walls. A roof can be formed by gradually sloping the upper walls inward to form a dome, or traditional types of roof construction may be used instead.

Bag Types

The most popular type of bag is made of woven polypropylene, such as the type often used to transport rice or other grains. Indeed many used grain bags are reused as earthbags. Polypropylene is chosen for its resistance to water damage, rot and insects, and its low cost. Some of the organic/natural material advocates prefer hemp, burlap or other natural-fiber bags, like "gunny sacks"; however, these will rot if not kept perfectly dry.

Filler Materials

Almost any inorganic material can be used as filler material.

Thermal insulation is an important consideration, particularly for climates that experience temperature extremes. The thermal insulating value of a material is directly related to both the porosity of the material and the thickness of the wall. Crushed volcanic rock, pumice or rice-hulls (see Rice-hull bagwall construction), yield higher insulation value than clay or sand.

Roofing

Various methods of roofs may be used, including earthbag extensions of the wall which create barrel vaulted or domed roofs. Windows and doors are typically formed in with corbeling or brick-arch techniques, sometimes on temporary forms, or with a lintel supporting the top. Light may be brought in by glass-capped pipes or salvaged bottles which are placed between the rows of bags during construction. The addition of lintels allows square windows to be used.

Finishing

To prevent UV damage to the fabric, it is necessary to cover the outer surfaces of the exposed bags with an opaque material. There are many possible choices for this material, including stucco, plaster or adobe. Waterproofing is also needed for non-vertical elements, in all but the driest climates, and can be accomplished by using additives in the bag-fill material, or in the stucco or as an added layer on the outer surface. Some designers/builders use a planted-earth "living roof" ("green-roof") to top the structure, or more conventional framing and roof finishes may be placed atop earth-bag walls.

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Amazon Spotlight 

Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques (Natural Building Series)

Amazon Price: $18.03 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

Amazon Spotlight 

Building With Earth: A Guide to Flexible-Form Earthbag Construction (A Real Goods Solar Living Book)

Amazon Price: $149.44 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now