A Lot of Stuff About Earthbags

More and more, people are looking to alternative construction systems to provide affordable, resource friendly efficient housing. Oddly enough, many of these alternative construction systems have been in historic use for hundreds to thousands of years – proven by the test of time throughout the world.

Earthbag building

The Trulli villages of Apulia in southern Italy still house their inhabitants under their fairy tale, conical-shaped, dry stacked stone roofs 800 years later. The 3-foot thick earthen cob walled cottages, protected under their thatch reed roofs, boast some 300-500 years of continual use in the wet climate of Wales. Early 19th century Nebraskans innovated strawbale construction with homes still comfortably inhabited to this day. In our own backyard in the Southwestern United States, the earthen, log and stone kivas and cliff dwellings built by the Anasazi Indians stand as testimonials to the endurance of their craftsmanship.

Thousands of other natural building techniques exist throughout the world. Natural materials such as stone, earth, straw and timber, along with modern adaptations inspired by traditional building techniques, are quickly gaining popularity as a solution for providing affordable, earth-friendly housing today.