Rainwater Towers Apartments

Rainwater Towers Apartments (click to enlarge)

Specifications: Three 16′ interior diameter roundhouses, total 660 sq. ft. interior, one bedroom, one bath, Footprint: 39′ x 43′

Description: This three-story, triple roundhouse tower apartment complex is designed to provide affordable housing in urban areas. The towers are primarily earthen construction. Made with earthbag tubes filled with earth and tamped solid, very few manufactured/processed materials are required. This greatly reduces construction costs. The apartment name comes from the fact rainwater is captured on the roof and directed to underground cisterns, which reduces demand on city water supplies. Each apartment is accessible by a spiral staircase in the front tower. Features include spacious 201 sq. ft. bedroom with large closet, modern kitchen and comfortable living room. All rooms are round to create an embracing, inviting ambience. The round towers are naturally stable and form a visually striking exterior.

Rainwater Towers Apartments floorplan (click to enlarge)

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Earthbag Building Guide Now Available!

New Earthbag Building Guide by Owen Geiger is Now Available!

Earthbag Building Guide: Vertical Walls Step-by-Step
By Owen Geiger

Free ebook with all house plan orders! See below.

Much has been learned about earthbag building over the last few decades through research, trial and error, and sharing of information. It is becoming increasingly clear what works best and why. And now with engineer-approved methods for building in code-enforced areas, it is time to pull the most practical ideas together and take this movement to the next level.

This builder’s guide does that by providing 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 are covered: Planning; $10/sq. ft. dirt cheap building techniques; Building code issues; Electrical and Plumbing; Cost estimating; How to build insulated earthbag houses; How to make earthbag benches, and privacy and retaining walls for next to nothing. It is profusely illustrated with about 185 color photos and detail drawings.

The Earthbag Building Guide by Owen Geiger is now available for $20 as a PDF download. The ebook is available for free with all new house plan orders through Earthbag House Plans and DreamGreenHomes.com.

You will need a recent version of Adobe Reader for the book to display properly. http://get.adobe.com/reader/

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Spiral Dome Magic 1 and 2

Spiral Dome Magic 2 (click to enlarge)

Specifications: 452 sq. ft. interior dome with loft, 740 sq. ft. interior spiral, plus pantry, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 42′ x 57′ plus buttresses

Description: This highly unique home combines the Peace Dome and Spiral Houses, which are also available separately. But by combining them it really creates a truly exciting design.

Spiral Dome Magic 2 (click to enlarge)

Spiral Dome Magic 1 (click to enlarge)

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Sweet Spot Earthbag House

Sweet Spot Earthbag House

Specifications: 396 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 14′ x 39′ plus porch

Description: ‘Sweet Spot’ refers to a great place to live as well as hitting upon a good, efficient design. Compare this design to the Single Wide plan, which is cramped in comparison because it had to fit on a trailer. In contrast, the Sweet Spot is designed from the inside out using all standard sizes for maximum comfort and convenience. This includes a larger bedroom with desk, a standard 5′ bath with bathtub and 30″ vanity, 36″ hallway, larger kitchen with standard sized frig and sink, and larger living room and dining area.

Sweet Spot Earthbag House East Elevation

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Attached Greenhouse w/ Vertical Glazing

Attached Greenhouse w/ Vertical Glazing West Elevation

Specifications: 9′ wide interior, any length desired, 36″ grow bed, Footprint: 9-1/2′ x desired length

Description: This earthbag greenhouse will fit with most of my 2-story house plans. Vertical glazing makes it suitable for most climates. Patio door replacement glass reduces costs. Super-insulated design allows for year-round use, with excess heat used to heat the house. Highly moisture resistant earthbag construction.

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Earthbag Peace Dome

Earthbag Peace Dome

Specifications: 19’ interior diameter, 283 sq. ft. interior main floor, 169 sq. ft. (16’ diameter) bedroom loft, total = 452 sq. ft. interior, 1 bath, Footprint: 22′ diameter

Description: How do you bring about the change you want to see? Live in harmony with earth and contribute to world peace.

Here is a simple dome anyone can build. This single dome contains all of the necessities for habitation. In addition to the basics, you could incorporate solar hot water, greywater recycling, composting toilet (shown, although a flush toilet can be used) to further reduce your ecological footprint. There are hot/cold, wet/dry climate design options available.

Earthbag Peace Dome South Elevation

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