How to Build a Tiny Earthbag Dome

Great video on how to build an earthbag Dome. The foundations are very important and the process here is very similar to the process I used when doing the foundations for my garden shed. Yes lots of tamping......but it's good healthy exercise. Can't wait to start on the foundations for the earthbag round house. Take a look at the excellent technique for the eyebrow over hang. There is something new to learn in every new video on building with natural materials.

Simple Solar Aquaponics

Even I can do this one.... Simply a matter of finding a "food grade" container for the fish.

Living in the Future - Cae Mabon

The Dream.......
This wonderful shared space in Wales is so much larger than mine. However, I can see at least one or two similar quaint retreats being built at the Gum Tree Garden Studio.  The areas are cleared, leveled and tentatively marked.  Trenches for the shed are well on the way and I'm just waiting for the blisters on my hands to heal so I can continue the creative journey.

Since 2009 there have been  a number of day visitors and campers enjoying the free retreat while still in it's raw state...... and many, many enthusiastic offers of help and requests to set up ones own project.  Sadly......even though I really enjoy the visits and enthusiastic company..... only four volunteers have actually worked beside me over the last 3 years with hours barely totalling a days work.  Perhaps as the project takes shape some of those promises will be kept, but I do wonder, at 70 years of age, if the dream of a Koala Corridor and  free Nature Retreat will ever be completed in my life time...............the journey continues.

What comes after the earthbag walls? Roof, Floor, Plaster

A lot of the design will depend on the type of recycled materials that can be found and innovative ideas.  The major expensive so far is the levelling of the site by the earthmover and the load of gravel yet come. 

Morgan Caraway's Picassa albums have some wonderful ideas on roof, plaster and more.  I share his idea of Styrene foam insulation using recycled  packing materials and I have bags of  prepared styrene foam pieces stowed away in my green house ready to go.

There is also a link to laying tile floors in an earthbag round house.

To see more ideas go to Earthbag Builders group on Facebook.

I'll add more ideas to this blog post along the way to use as a reference.   Creating an earthen floor is one that will be posted here soon.

Cob Structures

This video covers all types of cob structures.  Great technique demos.

The Ultimate in Recycling - Dan Phillips

Which  Group  are You??

How to Build with Earthbags

Earthbagbuilding.com has done the work for me. Here is a range of videos on how to build with earthbags