Economizer Earthbag House
Specifications: 432 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 19′ x 30′
Description: This plan is designed to be compact and efficient. Most houses this size do not have as many features — washer/dryer, wood stove, and modern kitchen and bath. An archway separates the bedroom from the main living area, yet maintains a sense of privacy with a room divider. Note: this plan is now listed in the free shelter category.
Economizer Earthbag House East Elevation
Earthbag House Plans 
i’m enjoying these, thanks for sharing. i like everything you fit in this one. jpu
I like this alot. The “DIY” aspect of the plumbing would be even simpler if the sink were moved to the wall between kitchen and bath. Doing that would result in essentially one interior wall with all the plumbing.
I would also opt for a stackable washer/dryer (in fact, personally I opt for no dryer) inside the bathroom along the plumbed wall. This would give a couple more feet of counterspace and cabinets in the kitchen near the table making for easier serving and “staging” areas for meals as well as for things like canning.
With those little changes, I would love to do this as a cordwood or cob house! It has nice proportions and the interior layout makes lots of sense. The centralized wood stove would heat better than those that are stuck in a corner, though with plenty of glazing on the south it won’t need much heat.
Thanks for posting these.
Plumbing wall: All plumbing is in one plumbing wall. If you look closely at almost all my kitchens, you’ll see a similar design. It uses a neat trick to save money and labor. The distance between the plumbing wall and sink is such that you can combine vents and run the plumbing in the back of the cabinets. This allows the sink to face an exterior wall, which is much preferred over looking at an interior wall right in front of you.
A stacked washer/dryer will work, and the plan can be modified to meet your needs. However, they’re not as popular as side by side units and so I didn’t draw it that way. And like you, I don’t use a clothes dryer. It’s shown to make the design appealing to a broader audience.
All plans show 18″ thick walls so cordwood, cob, adobe, strawbale etc. are all possible. This plan was originally designed to be built with pallets. Careful measuring will show how full sized pallets are used throughout! So there’s another option.
A back door, if desired, could be added next to the coat closet.
Hey there owen…I wrote to you about the eco domes design. How are these FREE?
Yes, the Economizer is free. I’m trying to offer a good range of designs. My goal is to create free plans for building sustainable villages — small houses and other living spaces, sheds, pump house, outdoor kitchen, pole buildings, etc. — everything needed for a small community.
Free plans: http://naturalbuildingblog.com/house-plans/free-house-plans/ (click on the links to download the PDFs)
Hi there. In the process of moving to Oregon and I saw you were doing a project in Washington. How are you coming along and is it difficult to get your projects approved?
I live in california and the standards are pretty strict. Can you or would you consider going over the procedure (just a loose schematic) of going from plans to finished product (i.e. get plans, have plans drawn to scale, go to building schmilding place to get them approved, get a contractor to bring electricity and plumbing from city lines, build place, move in…etc.).
The project is in eastern Washington on a farm. I think the rural location will make things much easier as far as getting permits. The project is still in the early planning stages, but we hope to get started soon. The plan is to build a sustainable peace village that can be replicated around the world, complete with renewable energy systems, permaculture concepts, ‘enlightened living’ principles (spiritual focus, drug and alcohol free, etc.).
Selecting a rural area with few codes will make everything much easier. Some areas only care about the septic. That’s the first thing I would do — find a good community with like-minded people. Do a Google search for ecovillages, sustainable communities, etc. and find one that meshes with your goals.
Most everything else is standard building procedure. You could get a carpentry or construction book from any library to guide you. Look for a title specifically for owner-builders.
So… let’s assume you’ve ordered your plans from a reputable earthbag plan website such as Earthbag House Plans who provides you with the info you need at an affordable cost. For example, the Dream Green Home website explains how I customize the plans to your needs: http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/materials/earth/earthbags.htm
The main steps would include: getting your permit, buying materials, preparing the site, staking out the building, trenching for footers and plumbing, running the plumbing lines, building the foundation (preferably with earthbags), building the main structure, adding the plumbing and electric, adding finishing details such as plaster and trim, getting final inspection, moving in. Actually, you’ll have several inspections along the way, one after each main step of construction.
Hey how is the project going in Washington… need any help? free.. ? would love to learn how to build these types of structures and how to set up these types of areas. it is a very cool idea.
Haven’t heard anything lately on the project in Washington. I’ve offered my design services and am waiting for their go ahead.
I am new to this wonderful idea of building an affordable and sustainable home with earth bags. I have been researching the various websites on this and would like to have the opportunity to learn this valuable skill.
Since I live in Western Washington I would be willing to donate my time to help with the Eastern Washington project when it gets approved.
Thank you for giving of your time and talents in helping many fulfill their dream for affordable and sustainable housing.
Sincerely,
Carol Root
Thanks Carol. I just wrote Barbara and sent her your email. She may be in contact.
Update: Don’t hold your breath on the Peace Village in Washington. I check in about every six months and so far there’s been very little progress. They got flooded out on one piece of land and are now looking for better land.
Love the house but I would make one small change..move both the kitchen sink AND the window over to the corner. I find corner cabinets to be largely wasted space as they are so inconvenient, even with lazy susan style shelves (things fall off the back and jam them and you can’t get as much stuff in them as you can a “normal” cupboard with the same space.) Also, unless you have the height to be an NBA player, the top shelves of a corner cupboard are pretty much inaccessible. So a crosswise sink in the corner with the window there as well. That gives a nice long clear span of counter space for rolling out dough for cinnamon buns and so forth :).
I wish someone would be interested in doing something like what you are planning up here in Sask. I have land (80 acres) but have had no success whatever in finding anyone interested in doing anything whatever with it. Easier to dream, I know, but still…
What you describe is one good option. It’s really just a matter of personal preference and you could change this if you wish.
I would build strawbale in extremely cold, dry climates. There’s lots of straw, and building with bales is very fast and easy. You could easily stack all the bales in one day! Just make sure you raise the earthbag foundation high enough so snow isn’t sitting against the bales. Day two: set the wood bond beam, trusses and sheet the roof.
this is nice.. now I think I want to make one here in the philippines would that be possible.. is this very cheap compare to typical house consruction
Earthbag is perfect for tropical countries like the Philippines. In fact, it’s my recommended building system for hurricane areas and tropical areas.
At least three other groups are currently interested and starting on earthbag projects there. Search Facebook for earthbag dojo. Another is a sustainable resort and bird sanctuary. I think the other one is a house. Plus, Illac Diaz helped build some earthbag schools, but he’s no longer active.
Hi Owen,
Thanks for the informative sites. I am very interested in this particular plan due to its size. How would I go about obtaining a copy? Would a structure such as this be well suited to the hot and very humid south eastern states along the coastal regions? Unfortunately, I do not know of many (if any) ventures into alternative building in our area. Thanks for your time and your work.
Free plans: http://naturalbuildingblog.com/house-plans/free-house-plans/ (click on the links to download the PDFs)
No worries. It’s a good sign for everyone that someone with your direction and dedication is busy. From what I have read across your sites, we need more like you.
As a side note, I think removing them would be counter productive. Seeing them helps with imagination and inspiration…this is what prompted me to contact you. This is exactly what is needed: inspiration, imagination, and communication. Perhaps you could re-tag them something other than “free” since you are busy. Just a thought.
Do you sell plans by chance? Thanks again for your time.
Plans for sale are available through Dream Green Homes: http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/materials/earth/earthbags.htm
Owen I live in the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana and have been considering on building an eco friendly home and was wondering what would be the most cost effective type of home to build that is highly energy effiecent ? I have considered straw bale,rammed earth,cordwood, under ground type using shotcrete walls, and now earth bag. Any recondmendations and ideas would be very helpful. I would like to do most of the construction if at all possible. Thank you for your ideas on this.
Strawbale is the fastest, easiest and has the highest R-value, which is what you want in cold climates. One very good option is berming or earth sheltering. You can do this by combining earthbags on the below grade portions and straw bales elsewhere. Choose a passive solar design with lots of south facing windows and you’ll have a very efficient home.
Here are two examples:
https://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/solar-ranch/
https://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/zero-energy-one-2/