Three Roundhouses Design (click to enlarge)
This plan illustrates what I think is the simplest, easiest way to build an earthbag home: build in stages, one roundhouse at a time so you can pay with cash and move in right away. It’s far easier to start small and add on later than jump right into building a large home that could take months or even years. I’ve talked about this a lot on our blog, but this is my first plan designed specifically for building in stages. This is becoming one of my favorites. What do you think?
The Three Roundhouses design combines:
– Hobbit House (starter house in this design): 471 sq. ft. interior, optional 471 sq. ft. loft, one bedroom, one bath, Footprint: 27′-6″ diameter
– Roundhouse Studio (master bedroom in this design): 177 sq. ft. interior, fold-out bed, 1 bath, Footprint: 18′ diameter, plus buttress
– 33’ (10m) Roundhouse: 855 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 36′ diameter
Total living space: 1,503 sq. ft. interior
Three Roundhouses Design (click to enlarge)
Related:
The Most Bang for the Buck? Part 1
What’s the Easiest Shape to Build?
Earthbag House Plans 
I think this is fast becoming a favorite design of mine.. I’ve looked through the majority of the designs listed on the site and this one is just catchy. The houses built prior to the final piece could be converted into studies. libraries, offices.. or just about anything someone might need – including a guest bedroom. Amazing set-up
Good point. There are lots of possibilities. You could even add additional units if you want.
A reader just suggested turning the walkways between roundhouses into greenhouses. Excellent idea!
Could the walkway in between the two smaller roundhouses still be turned into a greenhouse even though it comes close to facing east/west? I guess it’s halfway in between. I’m wanting to build something close to zero energy in north texas, and I’m starting to think my art studio needs to be a separate building altogether – the largest roundhouse might work for that. I still like the idea of greenhouses, though. Love all your designs!
Yeah, I think it would work even though it’s not optimum.
hi Owen. this design is beautiful. i’m from the Philippines with a humid and hot climate. Electricity bills are very high. Are there earthbag houses design to eradicate airconditioning?
and how much per square feet to build this kind of a house here in the Philippines?
You will have to do a cost estimate based on local prices.
For sure you do not need air conditioning if you build correctly! Our earthbag roundhouse is 8 degrees C cooler inside than out, and we live in a climate much like yours. Here’s the free article: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-an-Earthbag-Roundhouse/
There are many techniques you can use to keep your house cool. Read these articles about building in hot/humid climates:
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles.htm#climate
thanks Owen for a quick response. By the way how many bags of soil i need to build a 177sqt roadhouse?
You have to calculate how many materials you need. Our Earthbag Building Blog covers this and every other detail. Search for keywords ‘how many bags’.
hi Owen. How are you. I already placed an order of your DVD. Hoping to learn from it step by step to build earthbag house in the Philippines.
Thanks. The DVD plus my Earthbag Building Guide have everything you need. You have a similar climate as ours and so I know for sure earthbag will work great in the PI. Keep us posted on your project.
how can i get this plan ?
Dream Green Homes http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/materials/earth/earthbags.htm
Love this plan.Thank you Owen for all the help you provide! My dream home can be a reality.
I live in south Louisiana, where the winters are mild and wet, and the summers are hot, humid, and wet. My husband and I would love to build an earthbag house similar to this one, since we want to build in stages. I have several concerns, though. Wouldn’t the high temperatures day and night cause the house to overheat? I know the thermal mass of these structures works beautifully in desert climates where the nighttime temperatures drop, but I’m concerned that the home will be unbearably hot during those weeks when the daytime temps are over 100 and the nighttime temps are usually in the 80s. Would insulating the home be the best way to solve this problem? Scoria isn’t available locally, but rice hulls are. Local codes will likely require us to use a small percentage of Portland cement to stabilize the bags, but could mixing rice hulls into the earthbags themselves solve this problem, or would that cause more problems, given the wet climate? Would building a double wall with the interior made of rice-hull bags be practical? Any input on how best to keep the house cool would be greatly appreciated.
My other question about this plan: Would there be any problem with us building walls between the buildings in order to attach the structures so that we wouldn’t have to go outside to pass from room to room?
Lastly, if we use Portland cement to stabilize the bags, would getting the bags covered immediately still be an issue? It seems that if the stabilized earth dries into what is essentially a solid brick, the bags would be unnecessary. Am I missing something?
Our roundhouse stays cool year round and we also live in a hot climate: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-an-Earthbag-Roundhouse/
Follow the methods described here and you will not need air conditioning: Passive Cooling Strategies. Search our Natural Building Blog for the two blog posts. http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/
Read Patti’s articles on building in hot, humid climates at Earthbag Building.com (under Articles).
Yes, you can add walls to join rooms. This and almost every topic you can think of are covered on our blog.
Rice hulls will not be accepted by codes. Tamped earth or tamped with with some cement or lime probably will. You may need to hire an engineer. The only engineer right now doing earthbag houses is Structure1.com.
Double walls are way too much work and unnecessary.
You could allow the bags to deteriorate on stabilized earthbags, but they do add strength and so I would either keep the walls covered (ex: work under a huge tarp) or paint the bags with recycled latex paint as you go.
If I am building a round room with a dome and I want to put a loft in it, can I put the beams for my loft on part of the wall that is already doming or do the beams for the loft have to be on the stem wall?
The best method is to build a reinforced concrete bond beam and then set your loft joists on top. But if you’re building a small, unpermitted structure in a rural area then you could set the joists on the bags, add more bags in between the joists and continue laying bags. Be sure to pin the joists in place with rebar so they can’t slip.
If I am building the smaller of the three first, would it be possible to make the walls higher and a steeper roof pitch to be able to make a loft where I could stand erect? I would like the loft to be the sleeping area and have a kitchenette with a small living area below the loft.
Sure, most clients modify my plans to suit themselves. Everybody’s unique and wants something a little different.