Specifications: 8′ diameter interior, 50 sq. ft. interior, Footprint: 11′ diameter plus buttress/retaining walls
Description:This dome was designed and built for Mother Earth News magazine, which is now available in print (August/September 2009) and online.
It was designed as a low-cost multipurpose farmstead structure that could be used as a rootcellar, storm shelter, garden shed, cool pantry or even chicken coop.
Mother Earth News Earthbag Dome Floorplan
Mother Earth News Earthbag Dome
You Tube dome video showing the main steps of construction:
Hi
I really like the video, and actually the whole idea! When I saw the photo of the finished dome, I couldn’t even imagine how “simple” it is (by that I mean a way simpler than it looked). I like Your way of building houses, and Your ideas. It is a way different that the business I do (I work for an Australian waterproofing company). I am a bit sick of concrete and I see Your ideas as getting back to nature, especially this dome. This is the first time to visit Your blog and I am going to surf through all the pages.
So very cool, plans and designs springing up in my brain, surrounding the patio in the backyard. Dual purpose elevated herb garden that doubles as a storm cellar in tornado alley. Small equipment shed with garden tool storage, and cool spot in the summer to replant plants. Playhouse for grandbabies, and it all blends in with the environment. YES I like it.
That’s right, and it can do many/most of these things at the same time with a little planning! When kids see it, they just naturally run up to it in excitement.
Great building idea!
How do you finish the interior?
What do you use for, let say cob plastering, to stay on the wall?
Thanks
mariana
Thanks. I recommend earthen plaster on the interior. It’s non-toxic, easy to use and has no or very low embodied energy. Throw handfuls on the wall and don’t touch them. Let them bond and dry. Some use a drywall sprayer for the initial coat to help plaster stick. Following coats will smooth out irregularities. Earthen plaster can be super beautiful when done correctly.
Thanks for this great post. I would say that I’m really interested in this kind of infrastructure as it looks very nice and comfortable (not to mention the great ease on the pockets.)
I wonder though if adding cement with water proofing mixture will ensure to make it last and are there more eye friendly, bigger designs to choose from. Or that are these types “code friendly”?
Cheers and more power.
Thanks. Glad you like it. You could stabilize the soil with lime or cement for added protection. However, I live in a rainy climate and have had no leaks or any other moisture problem.
You can scale it up in size somewhat, but the living roof requires an enormous amount of soil, making it impractical do build large domes of this design unless you build into the side of a slope.
Codes vary widely and can make building like this difficult. I encourage people to move to rural areas where codes are not an issue.
Is there more information available on how to build the root cellar that was published in Mother Earth News?
Everything you need to know is available in the online article (more details than the print version): http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Earthbag-Building-Garden-Shed.aspx
And, you can read through our Earthbag Building Blog and EarthbagBuilding.com websites for complete information. We have hundreds of pages of free content.
hi Owen, i really like the living roof cocept. i have the book ‘Earthbag Construction’, and am seriously considering building a cluster on our land. we have lots of sand and some clay. i would probly be earthberming alot. from what i understand of the corbeled domes strength, they could be buried underground with no problem; well with proper drainage anyway.
you do have some interesting designs. i also like the roundhouses, kinda like yurts. keep up the good work. david
Thanks, David. Corbeled earthbag domes are extremely strong. We have about 15-20 truckloads of soil on ours with no problems after three years. I’m sure you could bury them completely underground. The only danger is using too large a dome. Also note, you can use small (3′-4′ wide interior) earthbag vaults to connect the domes.
Live in coastal region in texas, Interested how I could start my floor at 8`ft up. Would the entire walls need to be 8`ft inclosed to support the upper structure?, or could it be on Pier & beam on concrete colums? Plan to us the tube or bag method. also should I use more perlite to the mix to make each bag or tube lighter. what is your suggestion to the mix to use? Thanks for your help Thomas in Texas
You can build a base of earthbag walls or use the pier and beam system. You can use tubes or bags. You can add lightweight material to increase insulation and reduce weight. There are lots of options. Be sure to add lots of windows for ventilation and design carefully to resist hurricanes. Read our articles at EarthbagBuilding.com about building in hot, humid climates: http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles.htm#climate