Posted in Organic/free form, tagged blueprint, earth house, earthbag, earthbag home, earthbag house, earthbag house design, Hobbit, home plan, house plan, sand bag, sandbag, sandbag house plan, small house plan on September 17, 2010| 9 Comments »
Arc House (click to enlarge)
Description: Defined by an arc, this gently curving house uses passive solar design to capture the sun’s energy during the day and then store it in its interior mass to stabilize interior temperatures. Features include living roof and earth berm design.
Arc House (click to enlarge)
Posted in Organic/free form, tagged earth house, earthbag home, earthbag house, energy efficient, sandbag, sandbag houses, zero energy, zero energy house on December 11, 2009| 29 Comments »
Zero Energy One Earthbag House
Specifications: 846 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 36′ x 48′ not including cisterns
Description: Zero Energy One is a major step forward in sustainable housing. This revolutionary design features zero net energy use, extremely low ‘near zero’ embodied energy and extremely low cost of around $10/square foot (cost of shell, excluding energy systems). This design is the result of years of research in energy efficiency and low cost, alternative building methods.
In contrast, most zero energy homes are in the $1/4 million range, and utilize complex and expensive technologies that are unaffordable to the vast majority. In my opinion, these homes are not truly sustainable due to their size, cost, use of high embodied energy materials and complexity.
Zero net energy use: Optimized passive solar design, balanced superinsulation/thermal mass, earth sheltering, PV panels, solar hot water, airlock entries, wood stove with water jacket runs hot water through built-in bench and bed, solar wall oven, cool pantry, roofwater catchment, energy-efficient appliances, indoor herb and flower garden, optional composting toilet and greywater recycling.
Near zero embodied energy construction: Earthbag construction using recycled grain bags and other recycled materials, earth, gravel, scoria, earthen floors, earthen interior plaster, lime exterior plaster, pallet wood trusses (non-code building areas, otherwise factory trusses), rice hull roof insulation, recycled content metal roofing.
Ultra-low cost: Earthbag construction, recycled and locally obtained non-toxic natural materials, owner-builder friendly, low tech solutions.
Shown with optional Survival Shelter and concealed entry.
Optional living wall on exterior of south wall. Details coming soon.
Zero Energy One East Elevation
Posted in Domes, tagged compact, earth house, earthbag, earthbag design, earthbag dome, earthbag house, sandbag, sandbag dome, small, small house, small house plan, tiny, tiny house on September 28, 2009| 6 Comments »
Tinyville Earthbag Domes
Specifications: 133 sq. ft. interior main dome, 38 sq. ft. loft, 78 sq. ft. small dome, plus 8 sq. ft. vault, 257 sq. ft. interior total, Footprint: 16′ x 29′ plus benches
Description: Like other tiny houses, Tinyville provides just the basics in a compact space. It is intended as a starter house for those with little or no building experience and very little money. This design joins a 13′ interior diameter main dome with loft and a 10′ interior diameter small dome, with a vaulted passageway.
Tinyville Earthbag Domes South Elevation
Posted in Round, tagged cluster, earth house, earth sheltered, earth sheltered design, earthbag, earthbag home, earthbag house, earthbag roundhouse, home plan, house plan, roundhouse, sandbag, sandbag home, sandbag house, two bedroom, unique on August 23, 2009| 13 Comments »
Triple Roundhouse Cluster (click to enlarge)
Description: This design connects three sloped roof roundhouses and adjoining closets to create a unique roundhouse cluster design that is earth-sheltered on three sides — east, west and north — with a sunny courtyard on the south. The 16′ bedroom roundhouses on either side can be used as bedrooms, home offices, studios, etc. This design features 6′ French doors, and windows high in the wall in each roundhouse, large walk-in closets, high exposed wood ceilings and exceptional energy performance. With the addition of a few features such as ceiling fans, heat recovery ventilation, solar panels and solar hot water heat, this design would meet zero energy standards. Round earthbag structures are inherently stronger than rectilinear designs, and the heavy timber roof provides exceptional strength as well.
Triple Roundhouse Cluster (click to enlarge)
Posted in Domes, Over 1000 sq. ft., Polygonal (Hexagonal, etc.), Round, tagged blueprint, cluster, designs, Domes, earth houses, earthbag, earthbag building, earthbag designs, earthbag house, earthbag plan, hexagonal, pod designs, pods, sandbag on August 9, 2009| 6 Comments »
Customers are combining my designs in many new and interesting ways. Most of my designs are intentionally small and simple in order to keep costs low. But some people want larger houses. This can be achieved by clustering domes, roundhouses, hexagons, and adding on pantries, sun rooms, greenhouses, etc. to create a home just the way you like.
Some of these designs are truly unique. Here are three examples:
Earth Lodge Cluster (click to enlarge)
Six Pod Cluster (click to enlarge)
Double Arc House with Pond
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged earthbag, earthbag building, earthbag houses, earthbag plans, earthbag roundhouse, earthbag workshop, roundhouse, sandbag, sandbag building, Thailand, training, workshop on July 26, 2009| 5 Comments »
Date: 7 days, April 19-25, 2010
Cost: $500 includes excellent hotel, shuttle van, breakfasts, dinners, snacks
Location: Sakon Nakhon, Northeast Thailand
Instructor: Owen Geiger
Email: strawhouses [@] yahoo dot com
Note: This is a past workshop from earlier this year, but I’m leaving it here to show the final results. Lots more detailed info is on our Earthbag Building Blog.
Roundhouse information:
Round earthbag office, 15’ interior diameter, 18” walls, earthbag foundation
Wood doors and windows, small bathroom, earthbag benches
Concrete bond beam, steel compression ring
Exposed wood ceiling with peeled eucalyptus saplings and thatch
Roundhouse Studio
General building plan:
Goal: build walls and roof in one week (some parts won’t be completely finished, such as the plaster and roof, but we will do as much as we can so you get at least some experience with each step of construction)
Hard, dirty work will be completed before the workshop (earthwork, digging trenches, peeling poles, etc.) so the focus can remain on learning.
Workshop participants can assist with any or all building activities as they choose (ex: you may or may not want to climb on the roof, that’s okay).
The emphasis is on hands-on learning, although there will be short training periods throughout the day with white board, and question and answer sessions.
More information here.
Posted in Rectangular/Square, tagged affordable, earth house, earthbag, earthbag garage, earthbag home, earthbag home plan, earthbag house, earthbag house plan, garage plan, loft, sandbag, sandbag home, sandbag house, sandbag house plan, unique, unusual on June 30, 2009| 2 Comments »
Kalypso Earthbag Garage/Storage Loft
Specifications: 357 sq. ft. interior, plus 357 sq.ft. 2nd story, total 714 sq. ft. interior, Footprint: 20′ x 24′ not including decks or benches
Description: The second floor of this versatile garage plan can be readily converted into an apartment. With some modifications, it could also make a nice home.
Kalypso Earthbag Garage/Storage Loft North Elevation
Kalypso Earthbag Garage/Storage Loft East Elevation
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged earthbag, earthbag building, earthbag cistern, rainwater catchment, rainwater collection, rainwater harvesting, sandbag, sandbag building, sandbag cistern, water cistern, water storage on June 24, 2009| 19 Comments »
Earthbag Cistern
Specifications: 2,000 US gallons, approximately 6′ x 10′ interior, 12′ below grade, 36″ scuttle hole
Description: No off the grid system is complete without adequate water storage. This is the first publicly available earthbag cistern plan that I am aware of. Ideal for storing rainwater from roof catchment systems (rainwater catchment/rainwater harvesting systems). Prevents freezing. Scuttle hole provides access for cleaning. No transfer of hazardous chemicals from plastics.
Posted in Free shelter designs, Organic/free form, tagged camp lodging, cluster, compact, earth house, earthbag, earthbag home, earthbag house, free house plan, free plan, free shelter plan, lodging, low cost, rental plan, rental unit, sandbag, sandbag home, sandbag house, small home plan, small house plan, unqiue on May 22, 2009| 7 Comments »
Earthbag Cluster Lodging
Specifications: 94 sq. ft. interior per unit, Footprint: 11′ x 13′
Description: These small shelters provide lodging for all types of sustainable communities, including ecovillages, training centers, youth camps, spiritual retreats, eco-resorts, and for refugee and natural disaster relief efforts. The curved shape adds interest and stability, while relatively straight end walls enable units to be joined for maximum efficiency. The design below shows two units joined together. Many other combinations are possible. Note: this plan is now listed in the free shelter category.
Earthbag Cluster Lodging (Double Units)
Earthbag Cluster Lodging (Double Units) South Elevation
Posted in Domes, Over 1000 sq. ft., Round, tagged compact, dome cluster, dome home, earth home, earthbag, earthbag building, earthbag dome, earthbag home, earthbag house, earthbag roundhouse, roundhouse, sandbag, sandbag building, sandbag dome, sandbag home, sandbag house, unique on May 12, 2009| 30 Comments »
Earthbag Roundhouse/Dome Cluster
Specifications: 1,330 sq. ft. interior including lofts in the roundhouse and both large domes, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, Footprint: 31′ x 70′
Description: Readers have shown a strong interest in my domes and roundhouses, so I decided to cluster them to create a new unique design for larger families. There is a 2-story roundhouse in the center with domes on the east and west. There are a lot of things to like about this design: possible third bedroom, game room or home office in the roundhouse loft, 2 baths, separated bedrooms, large walk-in closets, dining area next to the windows, and lots of south-facing doors and windows.
Click here for a larger image of floorplan.
I’m not sure when I’ll get around to drawing the exterior elevation view. But it’s easy to imagine since the design is similar to my other 2-story Roundhouse and Enviro Dome.
Earthbag House Plans 
