Earthbag building is one of the lowest cost and most sustainable building systems in the world. Earthbag building is based on 250 years of military use of sand bags for constructing fast, efficient, blast resistant structures, and decades of use in flood control. These same qualities can be applied to build durable, safe, simple, affordable housing, as demonstrated by the thousands of earthbag houses already built around the world.
Description of $300 Earthbag House: 11.1 sq. m. interior, 5.4 sq. m. sleeping loft, 11.2 sq. m. patio for cooking and socializing. Total living space = 27.7 sq. m. Single units can be expanded by adding on in any direction or joined to create multi-unit structures. Almost all materials are free or recycled: grain bags, rubble, clay, door, security bars, earthen plaster and floors, or locally available, natural materials: bamboo, rice hull insulation.
One of the greatest needs in the world is affordable, disaster-resistant housing � houses that can withstand hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, flooding and other natural disasters. There is a growing body of engineering tests compiled at EarthbagBuilding.com that demonstrate earthbag is one of the strongest and most durable building systems available.
'The $300 House' Challenge