Pros and cons of Superadobe Earthbag homes
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- Опубліковано 17 лип 2020
- Who would have thought that sandbags could be inspirational? They were originally used for flood control and military bunkers but they have now been adapted for home construction. The bags are made of natural materials like hemp or burlap or more durable synthetic materials like polypropylene which is water, rot and insect resistant. These bags are filled with 70% sand and 30% clay and are laid in courses to build the walls, similar to bricklaying. The most common structures look like big beehives or igloos as the curved walls provide good lateral stability. The system has no tensile strength, so the structures must be built into compression forms like domes and arches. However, they could take on other forms like straight walls if they are topped with conventional roofs.
The earliest version of earthbag homes can be traced to Gernot Minke, a German professor. However, it gained momentum thanks to Nader Khalili, an Iranian architect. He established the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture in Hesperia. Khalili developed and patented the superadobe building system, which uses mile-long fabric tubes that can be pumped full of soil and laid in coils to create a structure. He envisioned these structures providing temporary housing in case of natural emergencies or for low-cost housing. His most popular design is the Eco Dome, 400 sq ft structure that was featured on HGTV.
Advantages:
Both earth and the polypropylene or burlap bags are cheap. Also, you don’t need a large, experienced crew on site which cuts down on construction and contracting costs. Other than the bags and the barbed wire that holds the bags together, earthbag building is a natural building that doesn’t use any other resources like wood or metal. As for structural integrity, these houses seem to withstand seismic, wind and snow loads. They apparently also survive fires, floods and hurricanes. Also, if the house is properly plastered, it will keep out mold, insects, and rodents. Thermal mass is another.
Disadvantages:
Earthbag domes are the most structurally sound but it’s difficult to use space efficiently when the walls are curved. All your furniture and finishes have to be custom made. Size is another concern. The maximum recommended diameter of earthbag homes is 20 feet or 6 meters, however, you can connect these homes together or build underground to increase the building’s footprint. If you are taking out a loan, there’s a strong chance you won’t be approved for this kind of building with no precedent in the area, because you the lender can’t estimate your home’s value. Tied to this is the unpredictable resale value of the home. On the structural side, you must be careful not to use biodegradable material like leaves when you are filling the bags with earth, because this will disintegrate and leave gaps in your walls causing them to become unstable. If the sand to clay ratio on your site isn’t ideal, which it probably won’t, you will have to truck in mounds of dirt to your site. In Texas for example, where I live, the soil has a very high percentage of clay. Earthbag homes are also very labor intensive. Finally, the scalability of this model and how much of an impact this construction is really going to make. It is a potential solution for disaster shelters but it is difficult to mass produce these homes.
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SOURCES:
• 1950s Geodesic Dome Co... thekinolibrary
• Time Lapse Inside A Sh... Storstac
www.som.com/projects/kuwait_u... SOM
• 1917 - Official Traile... 1917 Universal Pictures
• Sandbagging efforts sa... KSDK News
• Earthbag Timelapse Casey Youngblood
• How to build an earthb... Nero Baobab
• Nader Khalili: Designi... CGTN America
• First Coat Earthen Pla... naturalhouses
• Earthbag Home Construc... Brandon Treadwell
• Cal-Earth's Sustainabl... KCETOnline
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#superadobe #earthbag #tinyliving #tinyhome #natural #environment - Наука та технологія
This lady is a hero for telling us what the niche building community won’t.
My grandmother grew up in a sod house. Nothing new under the sun.
It is a Total myth that these houses are more labor intensive as for some reason you and all others are thinking of buying building materials. When you think of all the labor it took to produce all those materials, then sand bag houses are completely not labor intensive. You need to think in terms of total labor and impact on the environment. And for that reason, they are totally superior.
@@fragranceofsound Exactly
As someone who's worked in the "niche building community", this is a ridiculous statement. People in the field - in my actual, real world experience - will warn endlessly about the possible problems, the shortcomings and the pitfalls. Talk to the people who do the work. I've also worked in the "mainstream" building industry, and can't say the same about their standards of disclosure.
My grandfather ate a cat. Nothing new under the sun.
I find the earth bag movement interesting because I could see myself building and living in a house like that one day. However I totally agree with you I don’t think it’ll be mass-market adopted and I don’t think it’s actually scalable. It’s definitely more of a enthusiast solution.
I was thinking that it could be used doubled up with space between it & another layer
So it can have different traits, more wires, access panels
These are like adobe homes of today
probably won't be mass scaled simply because time consuming and very physical but it's scalable, I've seen petty big buildings done like workshops etc
The market only sees house as a trading commodity, not as a habitat to be lived in.
But modular homes can be viable with the use of the earth's sand and clay since you can create pillars to extend a home with new parts and such to 'link' a bridge between rooms.
Honestly this might be fun to build as like a cabin somewhere.
@@Ericbomb Nothing looks cooler, but realistically, you need a crew of 4 people to make a dent. I've helped build one and it's a pain, even with gained efficiency, it's still back-breaking work.
We're building with earthbags. We love it so far. We can't wait to have our home finished.
Round shape?
Hi guys. I think she did not do much homework for this video.
@Green Dream Project I've loved watching your beautiful home coming together. Inspired me to do some more research, here I am and here you are. Love it
@GreenDreamProject you’re doing an amazing job building and I can’t wait to see you finish! You’ve shown my husband and I that the lifestyle we truly want is possible. We’re starting to pay off some debt and save money toward property now.
@@triciacenac8793 Great to hear people want to escape the debt trap. The limiting factor is water (in most regions), lots of properties are w/o water and if you are good in collecting it, you can get cheap land. - I wonder if there are solutions where you can work with loam / clay soil ?
If you order a digger once and dig a big pond you can keep the good soil (if there is any), the "dirt" becomes insulating building material and the hole in the ground becomes one of your water collection / storage / recreational features. (A long but narrow channel-like pond could have shade plants on both sides to reduce evaporation (even trellises with beans or flowers would be possible. Would also allow for mary animals like fish in the water.
Living in CA where wildfires and earthquakes are common, this seems like ideal solution.
Also in areas that could possibly flood you could make a fence with it and make a humped driveway into your property
I always find these high quality smaller channels before they blow up! I just wanted to comment to say I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos and I truly feel like you are providing useful content
Wow, thanks a lot! I appreciate your support.
You seem extremely educated on these matters, thanks for the high quality video
Thanks a lot for the support!
Agreed! I want to build one now!
I feel this method would big with homesteaders, and national parks. It’s less you have to haul in if the materials are nearby. That and imagine the insulation value if you put another layer inside. Would make great ice houses.
Very good presentation on the relative strengths and weaknesses of superadobe (aka earthbag) building. You're correct that the energy consumed in labor on these homes is enormous. If human labor is readily available or time is not a factor, then this is a great, relatively-inexpensive form of construction. The legal and financial issues associated with these types of homes is the saddest part of the situation.
Alternatively, what if we used automatic sandbag fillers, like the ones used on load lifters
@@CowboybubPercussion You have still to hand press the bag in places. And when doing a dome, you have to raise tens of tons of dirt to a high level. I have never seen any one automatizing that.
As a contractor and architectural designer, having studied natural and alternative building methods for the bast ten years, I am finally venturing into earth bag construction. This video was very helpful. Thanks!
Do you feel like these are a better solution than let's say Cob or compressed earth?
There's a young couple in Arizona they just finished their earthbag home after more than a year. They did it themselves and they have their bedroom in the basement. It is a very labor-intensive project, but it built their relationship stronger and created a living space at very low cost. I love your descriptions and the details are clear. It's not for everybody but it can work in a community of like-minded people.
I have visited the Cal-Earth Institute a few times. The vaulted home was very roomy and took advantage of the natural light from the space created.
Hearkening back to your latest videos, I think the earth bag building method is a better option than converting a shipping container. The space limitations you mention with earthbag construction is still better than the limitations of a shipping container.
Hello Belinda and thank you.
Just bought my first batch of bags and they were discounted because the original company that ordered them went bankrupt. They're local too!
There's only about 40,000 of them so every month I'll pick up more until they are done or I am.
I'll start small and see how that goes. The first batch was 875 bags and I'll need more than that for my project.
Thinking of doing a work shop to help with the labour intensive part, ... I'm rather old fat and lazy myself, ... but I cook well and feeding the help good really pays off.
I'm working in a sand pile, ... so I might experiment with a little Portland cement. Can't hurt eh?
Have a great one.
Thank you for this very thorough analysis~ I can think of solutions for the first two issues. 1) You don't need customized furnishings and infrastructure. You can either accept the gaps between straight objects and curved walls and call it storage space, or rearrange the furniture into the center of the room with walking space around it. 2) Similarly, you can hide pipes and conduits behind furniture. Or, for that matter, you can panel the inside into a familiar box shape with doors into the space between the walls and paneling for pipes, electrical conduits, and storage.
You can also design a rectangular plan if you use a barrel vaulted roof.
I'm also thinking that a gap behind a couch is a perfect place to put a floor lamp.
the CalEarth institute has a square design the Vaulted House, the thing is that the ecodome is more popular
@@markharmon4963 I think the advantage of the dome is that you do not need any support for construction. This is why they are not dome shaped in fact but pointy. You need in fact to build a wooden vault to construct a vault.
where I live, people have been building with adobe for generations in rural areas. My grandparents had an adobe house , not earthbags but I assume the pros and cons are similar. I loved that house: the temperature control was incredible, so cool in summer, and the room sizes were cozy. When my parents demolished it to build a new house, they had a hard time tearing down the walls, as they were thick and had hardened off over the years.
I was an inspector at the CalEarth project in Hesperia, CA. An interesting project. I think aerated concrete, or concrete mixed with styrofoam will have more versatility.
@foyjamez....why are the CalEarth so expensive? I am in Joshua Tree... You would think more would be built here.
@@catherineice2605 The family used to charge around $5000 for the plan, and the labor involved in CA is really expensive. Also, they're proprietary bags were several thousand. The super-adobe still requires cement, and then you need to finish the exterior with a waterproof finish.
Then, take the fact that water, electric, and gas meters will cost you $5k each or more, and permits are additional, you're probably $40k before you even start working on the house, none of which can be financed except by credit card.
So, how do you get thousands of hours of skilled labor for the plumbing and electrical, plus custom wood work/cabinetry, and then heating (a/c is not required in the building code)?
If you build your own and can figure out how to fill the long super-adobe bags cheaply, you're smarter than I am.
Frankly, people undervalue human capital. Try to get people out to do backbreaking work for pay is difficult, but getting them to work for free (or even breakfast, lunch and dinner) requires a community as dedicated as the Mennonites and Amish.
Aircrete? Unsafe. Styrocrete? Unsafe. So maybe you should consider safety first. Hobby-level thinks used for building kill people. Even reinforced concrete kills if its done with hobby mindset.
Marvelous video!
We built our earth bag home in the Midwest USA 7 years ago.
It's gratifying to see a presentation so concise and informative.
Wonderful work Belinda!
Thanks a lot for the support, James! Are you happy with the earthbag home you built?
@@BelindaCarr
I outlined a lot of the harsh realities in a reply to anothers post about cost, but yes. Very cozy. There's something that feels timeless about it.
We're very happy. Warn in winter with a stove that burns much less wood than a regular house would need. Cool in the summer (within reason) without A/C.
There's regular maintenance that other homes don't need like plaster annually if we have hail. But it's cheap and easy.
I think we avoid much of the toxicity that goes into modern homes. Local wildlife like deer and turkey walk right next to it.
I have been researching on earth-bag homes for months I have started buying my materials for building sooner than expected. 💕💕💕 i can’t wait to live in one.
Ha. I built and lived in so many “earthbag” homes over the years. Though when I was building them they were just called “bunkers” or “fortified firing positions”.
I can personally attest to their structural integrity. Mine withstood heavy machine gun, rpg, recoilless rifle, and mortar fire for months at a time with very little upkeep. All upkeep can be done with the standard issue e-tool.
Nice. 👍
My scifi-medieval fantasy world would be so perfect with buildings like thesem
Thank you! A really interesting building method, and I like the look of the domes with arches.
Thanks, Richard. It's very unique.
I’ve never heard of the wiring or plumbing being left exposed in these types of buildings. They’re built into the building as the bags are laid, so you need to pre-plan the layout of the building, but they’re certainly not left exposed.
If you built the wiring and plumbing into the bags that would necessitate tearing down the home partially to do repairs
@@barneystinson2781 not really. The mixture inside the bags is the same as adobe usually. Once it’s hardened, you could chip out around the pipe if need be, replace it, and simply use mud clay plaster to patch it. It’s much simpler to do repairs than most people realize.
@@triciacenac8793 I wouldn't want to have to chip away at the structurally integral walls of my home for simple repairs
@@barneystinson2781Tricia Cenac is correct. Repairs and alterations are not any more difficult than brick, block or stick construction. The pipes are usually run below the floor slab or wood floor and stub-up. Laterals run in the grooves and superficial vertical paths can be chipped out and plastered over with negligible impact to the structure. All finishes completed with some earth, water, and stabilizer of your choice.
@@barneystinson2781 Conduits are required as confining wire in plaster stresses the insulation as it heats and cools. So conduit is required and a good means of upgrading wiring over time.
I went to the institute in Hesperia and found it enlightening and full of promise. It gave me the confidence to know that wherever I went in the world I had the skills to build my own shelter. What I believe the founder, Nadir Khalili, was inspired by was spreading a technique that would allow anyone -- especially the impoverished or those who had suffered a disaster -- to create a dwelling in minimal time with minimal costs assuming that in most places they could tap into the wealth of "earth" and the wealth of their own effort and build a home for themselves and their family. His work spanned achievements in modern architecture and he ended his career in devotion to this high cause for mankind. I applaud his ethos and his techniques!
Thank you! I've just found your channel and am happy to see the pros and cons of these sorts of construction that I have previously only heard pros for.
Thanks!!
I love that earth bag homes are made of earth and are accessible to nearly anyone. I love the different adobe look.
I plan to build one as a part of a eco campground project. Straight walls with a roof
Looking forward to seeing the final product! Good luck.
the roof is what worries me,
I can’t help but think of Spanish style Adobe buildings, I’m wondering if this will work in the desert
Also the roof would be supported by beams?
@@raybon7939 it's just extra rebar enbedded like a woven basket.
I cant believe your channel is so interesting. I came here looking for thoughts on shipping container homes and ended up wstching all your vids. Please keep creating content, I love your videos.
Thanks a lot for the support!
Yeah, I did the same, really good stuff. Ms. Carr, I'm considering building a sustainable home... do you consult for that type of thing?
I❤️Al B
I was obsessed with earthships, geodesic domes, domes, and earth-bermed, live roof or underground homes in high school!
Earthbags weren't on my radar but they seem to fit certain needs, the cons as you mentioned were way higher than the pros for what I wanted out of a house. Right now we're getting ready to build a conventional stick frame with a basement and to add solar on top but I'd still be much more interested in SIP prefab but given my timeline and the area (DC Suburbs) it is too much work to get everything sorted before the lease on the apartment runs out.
Next one will be something much closer to the ideal though.
Yes we could just buy used and put solar on it but the combo of what I want, what my wife will accept and what the buget can handle doesn't leave many options, especially since the final requirement is that the home be available for purchase.
I hope all goes well with your new construction! Keep a close eye on those contractors, I hear horror stories about incompetent builders every day here in Dallas. Are you installing a Powerwall system? Also, be careful of getting locked into a PPA agreement with a solar panel company.
We are ultimately looking at building a SIP home as well! but not right now though. We don't the right contacts and or land. Keep us updated on the construction of your home! I would love to see photos and videos. Good luck!
@@BelindaCarr will do for sure! Hopefully they let us video everything, maybe even participate. The blanket contract they have says this is disallowed though.
PPA and rentals scare me (except the Tesla rental because it has removal) we bought our last one with a bridge loan, 0% while waiting on the federal credit then credit card level insurance. We got the notification of rates triggering and paid it off with the refund check that squeaked in on time and cleared two days before the statement date on the loan, paid that electronically and now own it outright.
My tenants on our current house have only generated 2 electricity bills in the 8 months they've been there, they generate so much the gas bill for the heater and water heater also rolls back to zero. This system was sized for the whole home and a Chevy Volt with a solid commute, it held well with the Tesla Model S and we started having to pay $5 electric bills with the much less efficient and heavier Tesla Model X P100D.
We will be doing Powerwall (even if it doesn't break even or turn a profit) as the most annoying part of our previous system was sitting in the dark and heat while the sun was shining brightly during a power outage thanks to hurricanes, thunderstorms, or just because.
If all goes well we should start the process sometime next month, my wife has already approved a couple of lots, but with current events things have been in Flux.
@@KaceyGreen How exciting! My sister and brother-in-law in Houston own their solar panels, just like you and your wife, and they haven't paid a bill in months. I'll keep an eye out for your construction and Powerwall videos!
@@christopherbeddoe406 exactly! I'm wanting my house so sealed I need a ventilation system to keep the air safe
What I like most about your videos is how you approach the social issue involved, very important and well placed, taking into account the human factor (obviously) and with humility
Another problem with these homes is, unless you're willing to spend a LOT of money to cover the bags with concrete (which is actually not recommended, at least not on both sides of the walls, because it traps water IN as well as out), the environments in which they're practical is fairly limited. Heavy rains or snows that melt will basically disintegrate a cobb or plaster covering. I would definitely NOT want to try to live in one of these in the Amazon rain forest, Cambodia or the Philippines, just to give a few examples.
However, the "problem" mentioned about not having the perfect mixture of sand to clay can be ameliorated or even eliminated by simply adding a small amount (about 5% depending on the ratio of sand to clay) of portland cement to the mix; about a coffee can's worth per wheelbarrow load of soil usually seems to do the trick.
The rest of the "cons" mentioned here are quite valid ... EXCEPT for the "getting a loan is difficult" complaint. Seriously: if you're at all careful with your money you can build one of these homes for about $5000 here in the US. Get a mortgage for the LAND if you want, but if you can't come up with less than the price of a good used car to build your HOME, then just keep renting.
And no, I DON'T consider a small two-bedroom, one-bath home a "temporary shelter," but then, I'm a confirmed bachelor ... ;)
It is an option to put a real roof over it which would negate the exterior being washed away in rain. Personally, I would want to do lime plaster inside since it does so much to deter pests and mold.
No one solution is perfect for everywhere/one, but I think I would really like this method for building.
We live in a very wet climate and we are building one of these. There are ways to get around that such as the term boots and a raincoat. Get it up off the ground on dry stack stone foundation and put a living room that reaches out several feet over the walls and of course paint the outside with a lime mixture. Or like us we're going underground and we'll be wrapping that puppy Every Which Way in a pond liner.
You are balanced in your presentation; such a welcome POV. You place proper attention on the endeavor to utilize cheap, sustainable materials but appropriately and pragmatically point out that the method is not scalable or the panacea for global shelter that so many eco-friendly people falsely claim. You close by lending ideas about where the focus should be (with materials and scalability). Great presentation. I am 61 and was looking to build an earthbag dome in the Philippines. Thank you.
Thanks for taking the time to have fact based discussions on a number of topics. I have recommended your channel to a number of friends who like to get on either side of the arguments and having facts rather than emotion is great.
Love this. Your pro and con explanation is completely on point. Thank you for the insight and clarity that you are sharing! I'm a huge proponent of these more unconventional building styles, but you are right, it doesn't work for everyone... right now. Builders Unite! Innovate!
I love these earthen home structures. There beautiful and they provide the earth some relief.from us humans over using the traditional building materials. We must try something different. ❤🥰
This is why i love you and your channel. You are so gifted.... you give positive and negative points from several individual views, like the common person, who would be living in said creation. Then to a banker, who the common person needs for financial backing. This mental discerning ability is a rarity. So, thank you for sharing and enlightening us !
You are so considering!
It is so refreshing to see someone who doesn't judge or pushes into a specific direction! Just giving some Infos on a topic.
I've lived in the Hesperia area for the last five years and I'm just learning about this today. Thank you for this video!
I have been enjoying the lucidity, and concise clarity of your presentation. Keep up the good work!
I definitely agree that earth bag homes are not suited for mainstream housing and I think it is somewhat foolish to think it could ever be. Granted, sand is definitely everywhere and technically it could be used everywhere but you're right, there are technologies better suited for mainstream living.
I really like the idea of partially subterranean home like a hobbit hole style. I'm sure there are impracticalities of hobbit homes, but that cozy, naturally insulating design is doable with earth bag homes too
Really good info here, thank you for being critical of the system. Many fans of these techniques forget to explain to the final user all the complexities involved.
Nicely done, Belinda! Very concise, yet thorough!
Great video, it's nice to hear an objective view on such an interesting project. I get why people usually want their ideas to go big and reach the masses but I feel that it's really okay to have a niche product that helps a few select types of people. Niche is where things get good because they can address specific needs really well without the pressure of having to make it work for anyone and everyone. I wonder how things would be if we had more people trying to address the specific needs of their communities and groups rather than trying to solve the problem for the whole word.
I would love to have a few of these on a plot of land. They are super earthquake resistant due to the domed structure as well as very well insulated if it's too hot or cold out. And square homes are kinda ugly in my opinion. I would love to go down to Hesperia after covid and learn how to make these.
Thanks heaps for the overview and also for your salient questions on the viability of buiding a superadobe home. There are certainly a lot of factors to consider around the build, scaleability and local building requirements. A really informative presentation!
On the downside: in domes, roof and walls are one and not separate, therefore rain is flowing over it from top to bottom. This create a dilemma: in order to avoid water penetration you either make your dome waterproof and lose breathability (cement stucco etc) or have semi breathable and water repellent plaster that will need to be reapplied due to degradation (lime render). Other option is to create separate roof over dome, which will protect it from rain, or have superadobe walls only and something else overhanging them.
Thank you for your common sense approach to green building and alternative energy !
Thanks for being honest about so many different things, in this video and the many others I have enjoyed.
So much info, so quickly. Great video!
They’re also bulletproof (hence why they are used in military bases), talk about a great building material for areas with high crime or targets for terrorist attacks!
Those areas too poor to choose. They build of whatever available.
@@armamentarmedarm1699 I mean economically available. This one method is not necessarily cheaper, especially if you keep in mind -- house is much more than walls.
Compressed earth blocks maybe next on your list! Addresses one or two of your concerns, as well as adding to your positives. Loving the work you are doing, so good to hear a professional substantiating my cynicism!
I would love to hear your thoughts on Earthships. I believe they could be adapted & implemented into a majority of environments.
Bags seem a lot more obtainable and transportable then old tires.
I heard people are getting cancer from all those tires. I have no idea if that is true or not
I was actually gonna search through her vids to see if she did earthships, lol. I hope if she does cover the topic one day, she talks about bermed house in general, and not just tire and can Capital E Earthships
Are Earthships sea worthy?
@@billwatson5400 tires are extremly toxic, the gas that they produce is a problem. I never would live in a gas chamber.
Extremely well researched and intelligently and eloquently presented!!
I hope you do really great with this channel!! Your views on different building materials and styles is educated and informative.
i Like your videos because you go straight to the pont, with a nice language and facts that help a lot. Thanks, greetings from Veracruz México
your channel is helping me focus on my architectural design project, cheers!
This video was really very informative and precised. I would love to watch more videos like this. For example : you can make pros vs cond videos of rammed earth building, stacked earth building, cut earth building,formed earth building,wattle and daub method etc
I rarely comment on videos, but this video was EXCELLENT. Thank you!
Really enjoyed your points about how mass-produce-able green building methods end up having more of an impact because of their scalability
Thank you for fulfilling my request. I really appreciate your input. I hope you do more videos on the subject.
Thanks for the idea!
I'm very intestested in making a dome structure. I'm going to then Bury most of it. I'm very interested in the foundation, drainage and waterproofing..... Thank you for getting me started. 👍😊
Thank you for another interesting and provocative session.
Your insight at the end was helpful. I've looked into these types of houses, but my opinion on them can always use further analysis.
Family building is a very important aspect of this kind of construction. Everyone can participate, and working together to complete a project, is very rewarding, and will put the value saved in construction, into the value of the family or community that works together for the shared value.
I have just ordered the sandbags for my build. So excited
Well articulated! You present very well. Thanks for the video!
Ohh ♥️ the video i were waiting!! Thanks you
I just started looking into different green homes and found this video very informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this excellent explanatin of a really interesting building method. Your talk was well sequenced and lucid. I'm thinking of building a small one as a play house for my grandchildren.
I appreciate all that you teach. Thanks B.
Excellent content and analysis. I admire your work, very objective. I would love to hear your opinion on Rammed Earth houses and Off-Grid living. Thank you for sharing your videos and congrats on the 20k+
I think geopolymers present the most promise for being able to use site mined material. That does require a more thorough analysis of the subsoil chemistry prior to construction so the proper amendments can be procured and the best method of geopolymerization can be selected. Are you familiar with Joseph Davidovits and his Geopolymer Institute in France?
I love the analysis of your videos! Thank you. :) I participated in various stages of a superadobe project and agree with your assessment.
Your videos help me so much. Thank you!
I love you. You are smart and explain things well even when I do not want to hear it
Love your videos! I really appreciate the realistic architect point of view, as the tendency in this area of discourse is for the builders to be relatively inexperienced in architecture in general and maybe a tad overly-optimistic in weighing benefits versus drawbacks. I have been researching looking for more facts-based information like your channel, so thank you.
I would REALLY love to see you make a video comparing different natural building techniques (earthbag, adobe, cob, wattle/daub, rammed earth, cobbled stone, etc) and/or a video on earth bermed and earthship (earth-covered) houses. I have seen many other comments on this video mentioning the same request, so I can only hope to see a video like this soon!
Keep it up, as you're doing an amazing job :) I have a feeling you're blowing up thanks to your shipping container video getting picked up by the YT algorithm.
I am so glad I stumbled upon your videos!!! please speak more about your opinion on tiny houses or other alternatives to homeownership
Great work! Thank you... Would love to see a video from you on Buckminster Fuller and Geodesic homes. 🙏🙏💚💚
Thank you! I really appreciated your research and insight on this topic! :)
Informative as always! Yeah appreciate your skepticism, especially in a forum where idealistic optimism runs rampant. Thanks 🙏
Your videos are very unique and interesting, thanks for making this
Appreciate your thorough and impartial look at earth-bag construction, After visiting a project in Chihuahua Mexico, my take is similar to yours - beautiful, uses renewable resource, but HUGELY labor-intensive, and probably not practical beyond individual homestead-type use. Excellent video, kudos!
Thank you soooo much for all your videos. I'm looking into getting into construction and I'm going to collage to study construction management currently. The idea of sustainable construction has powerfully captured my interest. Your videos have helped me learn so much about what technologies are currently available. Their pros and cons and that there is much do be done and to be invented before large scale sustainable construction is possible. Hats off to you. Thank you for your knowledge and middle of the road approach to these issues anything different would not be helpful and that's the problem with trying to find information elsewhere. I really believe your videos are a huge service to everyone here trying to gain some insight and to this industry in general. Thank you!! Please keep it up!!!
Also I couldn't find a video about rammed earth construction I would love to hear about your thoughts on that.
this is really thanks, a great synthesis of knowledge
That kind of construction used to be quite popular in Arizona
New subscriber. Very educational videos! Looking forward to watching more in the future.
I like all your videos, keep doing this excelent job.
Thanks, Gustavo!
Thanks for posting and sharing.
Good job. I love this kind of ideas.
This is how my ancestors built our homes and part of the home I grew up is built in a similar way. It's not that good. Have a few advantages. It insulates fine as the walls are tick and not really good at heath exchange so with a good layout the hose will be cool in the summer, hot in the winter (if it's heated inside properly).
The hose cant is tall really and if your country is a rainy one it has high maintenance need. Also, it's not that sturdy. Over time it starts to develop crack as it's not flexible at all so the bases should be stable as hell... a fun fact. Houses built with this method usually had similarly built bases, the better ones used stones or clay bricks but usually just hope for the best.
Insects like ants and rodents like mice love to dig it and you can't do anything about it.
It creat an enormous amount of dirt once you want to tear it down or just want to put a window or a door through it (also these things need a lot of framing and sometimes pillars should be used too) and it is super work-intensive.
While it seems to be able to withstand short term shocks like earthquakes and flooding, I do wonder how more long term weathering processes would affect it. Resilience against disasters doesn't seem so impressive when it gets damaged by a few years of rainy seasons.
The problems you have named can be addressed by properly executing the technique. That is why they offer to teach you the best methods, and have many examples of the potential longevity of the buildings at Calearth.
Ty for insight
An excellent, informative video!!
Excellent video! Keep the good work!
I know you did a video on 3D printed concrete. There's more out now about 3D printed homes. I'd enjoy your take on this type of construction, where it's at and where it could go. Thanks!
Very well done! This was really interesting!
Thanks, Tom!
Really a good job on the information. Very well presented. Thanks for the Information.
Thank you.
I want to make preppershelter in the woods partly under ground.
This is very usefull information about earthbag shelters.
Very informational, thank you!
I'm so looking forward to getting off grid on a RU4 zoning.. My little family deserves the best in everything to offer.
Earth and water are life..
Impressive video. I have learned a lot from this. I still want an earth bag home.
They are mostly self-insulating. You might need a fireplace in colder areas. They are popular because you can literally do-it-yourself. Make some forms for door and windows, make a temp support frame for the "beehive" design. A little wood, sand and clay, barbwire, rebar, and sandbags. Easy, cheap, energy efficient (no corners means air circulates better, self-insulated), organically shaped, weather resistant, bug resistant, etc. I think these are pretty awesome myself
The beehive shape is an outcome of a technique called corbelling which does not require temporary support or otherwise.
thank you for your well thought and presented knowledge.
Thanks!