Basic Earthbag Building DVD

I am pleased to announce that Owen Geiger’s Basic Earthbag Building DVD is finally available for purchase.


Owen is a natural teacher who understands how to present information in a clear and understandable way and this DVD is excellent for introducing folks to the basic essentials of sound building practice using earthbags. Much of the DVD is derived from actual instruction at workshops, so you witness the whole process from the ground up.

After an introduction to the tools and supplies that are necessary for building, they construct a small sample wall with a rubble trench foundation. Every step is fully explained and demonstrated as the wall proceeds.

The second portion of the DVD takes you through the process of building a functional cool pantry that is attached to a house. Here you can see how doors can be framed and roofs attached. There are many tips and tricks that emerge from watching that could be invaluable in constructing most any project.

At the end there are some bonus scenes that include tips for building a dome, an animated fly-through of Owen’s Enviro Dome, and a tour of Owen’s completed Earthbag Roundhouse.

With over three hours of solid instruction, this DVD would be a valuable addition to anybody’s building library. You can review portions of this DVD by exploring the short clips that are shown on Owen’s YouTube Channel. And you can purchase the DVD directly from the manufacturer for $28.

Handmade Houses: the World of Vernacular Architecture

For such a little book Handmade Houses & Other Buildings by John May (published by Thames & Hudson) really does explore the world of vernacular architecture in an informative and amazingly detailed manner. 

It starts out with a full color "Gallery of Building Media" that showcases houses made with the primary materials found around the world: wood, stone, earth, bamboo, reeds, snow, skins and animal fiber, and recycled materials. The author points out that "vernacular architecture, by its very nature, is built from local materials that are readily to hand and is thus defined by the geology and ecology of the region and by local climate conditions. Constructed by the community using traditional tools, these structures are highly practical, energy-efficient, and blend with the landscape. These buildings carry many of the attributes that we are now seeking in 'green architecture' as we struggle to adapt our built environment to the demands and concerns of the climate-change era." I might add that these building also tend to do all of this in an elegant and lovely manner.

The remainder of the book is divided into the major regions of the globe where one can find such architecture and showcases many fine examples of what you might expect from each. A two-page layout is devoted to every example, with both descriptive and cultural data provided. The illustrations alone are worth the price of the book, with considerable detail lavished on exactly how the buildings are assembled and with what materials. One could literally attempt to duplicate many of the structures just from what is shown.

What a pleasure to delve into the of forms and functions that have sprung from the fertile mind of man! I have to say that for shear inventiveness, the world of vernacular architecture puts many modern, professionally designed buildings, to shame. Of course this is the realm from which modern architecture has evolved, and it is worth paying homage to these archaic forms and solutions for housing. They are the very roots of all architecture.

Which brings us to the modern era, where the most prominent vernacular building happens to be found in the shanty towns of urban environments. In these circumstances, the recycled cast-away materials of society provide most of the building blocks available to the inhabitants. Squatter settlements can be found around the world, often barely tolerated by the local authorities. The folks who live there actually may prefer the kind of life they have carved out for themselves, where they live and work at the same place, operating within a kind of underground economy.

Modern day "Earthships" stem from this tradition, where used tires and other recycled items are prominent resources. And of course the whole notion of "natural building" is really an extension of vernacular architecture, and has value for many of the same reasons of living with a low carbon footprint. Many approaches to building naturally are really revivals of old ways of building.

This book is a great reminder of the value and inspiration that can be found in vernacular architecture. I highly recommend it.

Earth USA 2011

The Sixth International Conference on Earthen Building and Architecture, Earth USA 2011, met in Albuquerque, NM at the National Hispanic Cultural Center September 30 through October 2, 2011.

One hundred twenty participants came from fourteen countries and presented papers on various aspects of earthen construction. At the conclusion of the Conference participants worked collectively to prepare this message summarizing information, opinions and conclusions:

Earthen materials are globally available. Usually it is the dry climates that are bring to mind Adobe, Cob, Sod, Rammed Earth and Compressed Earth Blocks. However new locations for earthen buildings are always being reported. This year the surprise came from Norway where historical adobe homes are located near Oslo. Other reports came from China, Bulgaria, England, Oklahoma and Texas. Often these reports are of a few, isolated instances of earthen buildings. Germany, however, has long been known to have at least two million earthen homes.

Earthen homes are appropriate across the spectrum of building costs. Homes are built at zero cost in some countries while in places like New Mexico and Saudi Arabia contemporary adobe is considered the premium building material for homes and monumental buildings. Several papers at the Conference dealt with innovations that can reduce building costs in those areas where labor is expensive. In other parts of the world, labor is less expensive and employment is a sought after opportunity for citizens. Working with earth can create new jobs for young and old. It is richly intergenerational and educational in nature.

Materials costs are not tied closely to the petrochemical industry. In New Mexico, the cost of an adobe brick has doubled in thirty years while the cost of a 2 x 4 wood stud for frame construction has increased five-fold in the same period.

It must always be remembered that of all building materials, those of earth have the least embodied energy; their carbon footprint can be almost zero; and they are the most easily recycled, reused, repurposed or just plain returned to dust. Brown is the original green, the original back to nature.

Other authors reported on the efforts to codify the use of earthen materials in construction: There is much collaborative effort across the globe which also includes educating code writers and enforcers. Germans lead the way with thoroughly embedded building construction norms in their national codes which will soon be inserted into the European Union standards. Australia, New Zealand and the United States follow right behind. In the USA, adobe is now part of the 2009 International Building Code beginning with 2102.1 where it is defined. There is also The American Society for Testing Materials ASTM E2392, Standard Guide for Design of Earthen Wall Building Systems. Adobe is included in the Construction Specifications Institute system as 04 24 00, Adobe Unit Masonry with two subcategories, 04 24 13 Site Cast and 04 24 16 Manufactured. This means that earthen materials are now mainstreamed in the eyes of codes and standards.

Participants noted that earthen materials have cultural connotations. They are simply part of the lives of many cultures. While abandoned in many areas, there is a growing interest on the part of youth. New communities using earth as the basic building material are being created in Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Most of the world requires great effort on the part of proponents of earth materials to preserve buildings from destruction in the face of modern development. Saudi Arabia has banned the further destruction of any earthen buildings of antiquity as a fine example to the rest of the world.

Architects, builders and dwellers have long had spiritual connections with the material and there are those who feel it creates living structures, certainly healthy structures without any of the chemicals often found in the modern home. The walls stabilize temperature and humidity through their thermal mass and porosity which promotes breathability and even phase change action as moisture moves in and out of walls.

Earthquake resistance is always a concern. Correct and careful building techniques go a long way to make any building safer. Age-old and new techniques can be incorporated in the design or retrofit to existing structures to increase their safety. Earthen structures are adept at resisting cyclones, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, bugs and even bullets.

While all this is as old as dirt, it is as new as the next idea. Architects, designers and youth should be encouraged to create new shapes, forms and methods to create structures of wider appeal to more people. It need not be limited to the warm, round, brown buildings often brought to mind by the Santa Fe/Taos/Pueblo style; thoughtful, good design can increase its appeal while still maintaining timelessness.

After all, this is Planet Earth.
www.earthusa.org

Building Affordable Earth-Sheltered Homes

I am always suspicious when I see a book title proclaiming the book is complete and everything you need to know about a subject. This usually is not possible, especially with any complex topic. So when I received a review copy of The Complete Guide to Building Affordable Earth-Sheltered Homes: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply by Robert McConkey, I raised my eyebrows. And in this case, it was for good reason to be skeptical.

I think that a better title for this book would have been Building Tips from a Seasoned Contractor, with Some Emphasis on Earth-Sheltered Housing. There is some good information in the book, but you really have to dig through a lot of poorly edited prose to  find it. This book could have been about half the size and still contained everything useful in it. And some of the illustrations have such poor resolution they are unreadable; it looks like they were pulled off the internet. I am surprised that Atlantic Publishing let this out the door the way it is.

Well, enough grouching...what of value can I point to?  The advantages of earth-sheltered homes over more conventional housing in terms of energy savings,  personal comfort, less general maintenance, and disaster resistance are explained, along with the possible difficulty in obtaining a mortgage or finding a buyer. Some historical perspective on earth-sheltering is also offered.

When considering appropriate design, the author mentions the challenge of providing sufficient natural daylight, and how this can be addressed. How to conform to building codes? How to provide proper drainage around the house? What building materials are appropriate? What planning needs to occur?

General site selection and excavation needs are discussed. A detailed description of forming and pouring concrete stems from the author's years of experience in doing this on many types of projects. Electrical and plumbing needs are discussed from a general point of view, without much specific attention to the needs of earth-sheltered homes. Different heating options are briefly mentioned.

Some of the greatest value of this book emerges from the author's experience as a building contractor. He frequently mentions ways that you might save money by careful shopping, selecting  and negotiating with sub-contractors, locating the right equipment, avoiding construction delays, etc.

Obviously there can be challenges for anything underground to keep it warm, dry, and with fresh air. The chapter on waterproofing, insulating and ventilating the home does address these needs more specifically for earth-sheltering. Most of the discussion about finishing details is really general to any home construction.

And that is about it; not a whole of lot of meat to this book...certainly far from the promise of its title!

A Solar Buyer’s Guide

A Solar Buyer’s Guide for the Home and Business: Navigating the Maze of Solar Options, Incentives, and Installers by Stephen and Rebekah Hren covers a lot of territory for a small book (152 pages). This husband and wife team both work in the renewable energy field, with Rebekah installing PV systems and Stephen designing and building passive and active solar heated homes.

The introduction goes into the history of the use of solar energy and analyzes why one would want to employ it. The first chapters discuss the variety of ways that solar energy can be employed architecturally.  Panels that produce thermal water and those that produce electricity are differentiated and space heating options are discussed. The pros and cons of these various systems are explored, both in terms of how appropriate they might be for your site and for your pocketbook.

Some care is taken to help you evaluate what your “solar window” might be, that is how much potential solar energy is available at your particular site. Then the other part of the equation is how much energy do you actually need, or use?

The cost of the various possibilities is explored. Is it really going to pay back what you invest in it? What is the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to buying solar energy equipment? Can you get some help from the Federal government or state and local jurisdictions to defray the costs? If the answers to these questions are not in the book, it is suggested where you can find out.

Many of the intricacies of what is required for the various types of solar electric systems are carefully explained. So whether you want a simple grid-tied system, or a more complex battery backup or off-grid, stand-alone system, the book will help you understand what will be needed.

Similarly, hot water systems are described in enough detail to have a pretty good idea of what is involved, and what would work best in your situation. There are a number of diagrams to help you visualize all of this. Even swimming pool heaters are discussed.

Heating your house with the sun can be done with some major remodeling to introduce passive solar concepts, or it can be done with simpler solar air heating units that just attach to the side or roof of your house. Or there is the possibility of placing solar thermal panels on your roof, and then directing that heat into your house through radiators or hydronic tubes in the floor. There is a long chapter that discusses all of these options.

Once you have decided what route to take in using solar energy for your situation, you will probably need to hire some expert help implementing your plan. One chapter is devoted to finding a good contractor at this stage. Since you have read up on everything that is involved you will be much better prepared to ask the right questions and evaluate your options.

The last chapters talk about other simple technologies that employ solar energy, such as a solar clothes dryer (a clothesline) and various types of solar cookers, as well as daylighting with light tubes.

This inexpensive book is well worth its price in giving you an overview of what can be done with the sun to help you live cleaner and more economically.

Living Homes: a Review

Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction; Building Your High-Efficiency Dream Home on a Shoestring Budget, by Thomas J. Elpel, 2010. Originally published in 1998, this is the sixth edition. 

This hefty book (250 pages, 8.5" X 11") is chock full of detailed information, personal musings, photos and diagrams, and practical tips. Thomas Elpel is a do-it-yourselfer after my own heart, and what he has compiled here chronicles his adventures of building his own home in rural Montana as well as experiences with other building projects. He and his wife were forced by circumstances to find inexpensive solutions for all of the challenges of building their home, and they managed to do this without sacrificing their commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.

Their home is a true hybrid, with the first floor being slip-formed stone masonry and the second story of logs, all sourced locally and ecologically. Thomas explains in great detail exactly how he put together this house, sufficiently for others to follow his lead without much more need for instruction.

In addition, the book is liberally dosed with Thomas's philosophy of how to homestead ecologically in the 21st Century. He starts with how to choose an appropriate location, then proceeds to describe strategies for disaster-proofing your home. He emphasizes how important it is to define the goals you have for your home before even coming up with a design.

Part Two of the book explores principles of energy efficiency, delving into a discussion of the need for excellent insulation, coupled with thermal mass and solar gain for a truly ecological house. The pros and cons of various insulation systems are defined, with charts of R-values. etc. There is a chapter devoted to interior air quality.

Part Three launches into the nitty gritty of exactly how to build using the methods that the author is familiar with. There is a thorough review of various strategies for creating footings, foundations and floors. This leads to a primer about the properties of concrete and how to mix and pour it. The instructions for building stone walls are specific to slip-forming, which tends to be fairly straight forward and simpler for folks who are not skilled in the art of free-form stone masonry. Thomas admits that slip-forming may result in a less aesthetically appealing result, but the advantages are speed of building, ease of reinforcing the wall, and the option for easily incorporating insulation right in the middle of the wall, which has a tremendous thermal advantage.

A whole other approach to making stone walls is described in some detail: tilt-up construction, where the walls are all created flat on the ground and then later lifted with a crane into place. Obviously these walls need to be extremely well planned and reinforced to survive the lifting procedure, but this method can be done rather quickly. The author demonstrates how this is done using an example of a friend's house that he helped build.

The log-building technique that Thomas chose to use for his house is one of the simpler approaches, where little notching and careful fitting and trimming is required. Round logs are just stacked one on top of the other, using rebar pins to hold them in place. It is possible to build entire walls this way, and then cut out doors and windows later. The spaces between the logs are eventually insulated and chinked to make the wall air tight.

The basics of strawbale building are presented in one chapter, detailing how a large load-bearing strawbale shop was built. The information about strawbale is not as thorough as it is with the previous chapters on stone and log building, but there is enough of an overview to give the reader an idea of what is involved.

All of the wall-building techniques described so far require a framed roof of some sort, and the author goes into some detail about the possibilities for doing this. One method shown is fairly simple and straight forward, where a log ridge pole is placed first, and then rafters are bolted together on top of this, supported at the other end with another log. This can then support a variety of roofing materials, such as metal sheets or shingles. On his own house, Thomas used recycled pieces of thick structural insulated panels (SIPs) to piece together a roof.

For their floor, Thomas and his wife became experts at making "terra tiles," which are cast-in-place tiles composed of earth, cement and colorant. There is enough detail in this chapter to attempt a similar project. The rudiments of wood-frame carpentry are presented as options for making interior walls and floors. Window and door options are explored, with the pros and cons of various types of glazing pointed out.

In order to present a thorough overview of all of the basics of house building, the author also has surprisingly comprehensive chapters on plumbing and electrical wiring. This includes a look at the options for rain water catchment, gray water recycling, waste management, and even capturing biogas. Strategies for solar water and space heating are discussed.

An extra bonus is a lengthy chapter on the theory and details of building a masonry stove, which shows how they built one for their home. This is probably the most energy efficient method of heating with wood possible. Another do-it-yourself chapter shows how they built their own concrete kitchen countertops. A final chapter discusses ways to save money by using recycled paints.

All-in-all I give this book very high marks for providing useful information compiled in a logical and detailed manner. A person really could attempt to build their own house using nothing but this book as a guide, which is more than can be said for most building how-to guides. At times the author becomes rather chatty and some of the text could use some editing, but overall, the read is interesting and very informative...well worth reading, especially if you are thinking about building your own energy efficient and economical house.

Earthbag Building Guide

Owen Geiger and I started www.earthbagbuilding.com several years ago and share the popular associated blog. During this time we have examined most earthbag projects that have been publicized in any way and have shared and learned about successes and failures. Owen's new e-book combines this knowledge with lots of hands-on practical experience to provide a concise, well organized step-by-step guide.



This builder’s guide provides simple, clear explanations of each step of construction, from earthbag foundations that don’t require concrete, to complete information on tools and supplies, as well as tips, tricks and advanced earthbag techniques.

All major aspects of building earthbag houses with vertical walls are covered: Planning; Dirt cheap building techniques; Building code issues; Electrical and Plumbing; Cost estimating; Insulation; Landscaping options. It is profusely illustrated with about 185 color photos and detail drawings. This is now available as a PDF download for $20.

To read the Complete Table of Contents and several reviews see earthbagbuilding.com