Earth Architecture & Building Projects

We propose these alternatives to the intensive subdivision / wood-frame stucco boxes and mobile homes with which folly threatens to cover the land.  We believe that environmentally friendly "green" architecture is both beautiful and a better solution to balance the human impact in the long term for the Sonoran desert.

Earthbag Projects

Weathered from the once tall Sierrita Mtns. is harvested earth that makes a perfect adobe.  This earth, placed moist into a sandbag (or tube of the same material), stacked and packed, becomes a "brick" when dry.  The walls are plastered to create curved walls, arches, vaults and domes.  The resulting curvy architecture has an organic quality that is softly pleasing to the eye, and is also inherently sturdy.  Earth as a building material has advantages in the desert.  Most of the animals that live here live in the earth for good reason.  With passive solar design, and walls 14-16" thick, thermal mass keeps the structure warm in winter and cool in summer.  Using a local material to create buildings minimizes the need for imported materials such as lumber and fiberglass, and energy / carbon dioxide intensive products like cement for concrete or block.

Earthbag Pithouse 2001-2

12-ft diameter, $500 of new materials, many recycled materials.  Built mostly by two people over 8 weekends.  Thermal lag moderates the temperature extremes.

HybriDome 2003

16-ft diameter, $1000 of new materials.  Modeled after the "Honey House" in Moab Utah.  Lack of tubes forced a change of plan to ferrocement for dome closure.  Polystyrene chunks recycled into insulation between the nesting domes.

Five-sided Food Lab - An experiment with straight walls.  Earthbag walls have inherent stability as curves, straight runs require additional reinforcement.  This building has a concrete footer.

Terradome Sunken Garden - A terraced garden to a depth of 12 feet, capped with a geodesic dome which controls humidity and temperature.  An experiment in food production.

Wizards Tower - A Place for Gandalf when he visits.

Ferrocement and Sustainability at Terrasante Village

A part of our mission at TSV is to experiment with what is not extensively utilized in order to identify methods and materials which may be key to our future survival especially if they can knock out CO2 emissions. This is our contribution to the sustainability puzzle. It will take many people and groups working on these issues to solve them. Those answers will come from the field. Just as genetic diversity allows for plants to adapt to new environments, our strength as a species and survival depends on many small groups working on these problems simultaneously in their local areas and networking. Think of us all as a parallel processor. Those solutions will come from the bottom up.

It is important to explore the ways which people which have solved human needs that are sparing of resources. In the realm of shelter we have experimented with earthbag as a building material. Earth is locally available, cost little, and has performed wonderfully from an energy/comfort standpoint. We find ferrocement to be particularly helpful when combined with earthbag for stabilization and integration of disparate elements into the whole. Ferrocement is essentially a web of steel & silica fabric typically an inch or less thick which can be fixed to any shape and is incredibly strong when tugged, pushed, or flexed. The method is used worldwide for 50+ years in many communities for public buildings, homes, water tanks, boat hulls, and decorative elements. (also see calearth.org, okokok.org and ferrocement.org)

The ferrocement method is in use as a solution for vulnerable buildings in earthquake zones. Ferrocement box structures as precast/ lower cost, high strength structural elements have also been developed for flooring and roofing of buildings. (also see cat.inist.fr, am-cor.com paper & slideshow, uet.edu.pk, imacwww.epfl.ch, and bhrc.ac.ir)

While ferrocement involves the use of materials which are energy intensive (steel and cement), they may make it possible to eliminate the need for other energy intensive materials or components, and pay for themselves in energy usage savings later on by permitting the use of existing materials which were otherwise problematic. While being labor intensive, ferrocement also allows small groups and individuals to construct structures that would otherwise require high cost, specialized equipment, or raw materials not locally available/easily transportable. It is a boon to small communities.

Ferrocement also allows for incredible possibility of design. It is a sculptors dream. Curved, domed, arched, vaulted, wavy, far-out spaces can be built which not only please the eye, they also stimulate the imagination and spirit. Such buildings provide an energetic quality which feels different than the rectangular boxes we are used to.

We see the potential for ferrocement to meet many human needs while maintaining an aesthetic quality. The material speaks to sustainability, it speaks to locality, it speaks to poorer communities.

Ferrocement model code has been developed internationally - see our copy of the IFS 2001 Ferrocement Model Code (8.2mb pdf). Another good resource on technical properties and testing is Naaman's book Ferrocement & Laminated Cementious Composites.

Magic Bus toilet 2009

A practice project for interns to learn ferrocement technique.  It features a right-angle mirror for contemplation of one's true nature.

Harmonic Sauna 2009-

Project for Harmony and Health Foundation at TerraSante Community.  While earthbag walls lie buried within, the space is designed as a resonant box for purposes of focusing the healing power of sound.

Other Building Projects

Tipi's 2009

Tipi's constructed of thinned pines, and recycled billboard vinyl.  They will provide wind and rain shelter when we are so blessed.

 
 
 
Cob buildings

We are open to hosting cob building projects in the future.  Sequestering carbon from air into earth serves our mission.

The "Boneyard" workshops 2008-

The first 2 of 5 work bays completed of mostly reused salvage materials.
 
 

Pole buildings 2007

This pole barn was completed by salvaged thinning from the Flagstaff area.  It houses Arizona Native Seed Resource.

Partnership With Earth has a seasonal research base here.  Areas of development include sacred architecture form, ease of construction, portability, and bioharmonic materials / compatability testing.  Ultimately we hope to develop structures that are super-affordable and boost the well-being of those using them.