Thanks, Cato. Your experience is common. People are resistant to change. But earthbag is growing fast and more and more people are building this way. Now you can search Google or Google Images and turn up thousands of documents and photos if you vary the search terms slightly (earthbag, earthbag Mexico, etc.) Please send us photos of your project. My email is here: http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/about/

That's right. No beds need to be purchased because 1. built-in bench doubles as a bed (note the cushions that can be rearranged at night), 2. sleeping loft. And I agree about cultural acceptance. This is the basic type of house most people want.

Yes, this same basic style of house is common throughout the world. There would be little to no cultural resistance to this design once people understand the nature of earthbag building. Simply build a prototype and they would be won over.

There are challenges no matter how you build. Building houses does require a certain amount of skill. Fortunately, those skills are available in every country. A successful project manager will seek out workers with the necessary skills (carpentry, plastering, etc.) and oversee the project until it is running smoothly.

The "floor above" you refer to is just a loft. Super simple. Also note, I'll provide complete plans if I win so all the details are clear.

But here I think we are trying to achieve as much of selfconstruction as possible because of the low budget. And I think the plans is what can help you to explain better your idea and have more chances to win.

Yes, but every design here will need some explaining...

You are right in that issue.

My email is at this web page: http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/about/

That's probably the most uplifting comment all day, thanks. I agree, of course, and so I wonder why this design is down here at #39. I know from a lifetime of experience that many/most of the projects here at not all that practical or realistic, while I'm 100% sure this project is totally viable. So there's a strange disconnect between what I know to be true and the rating system. Maybe I got in too late and didn't build up a fan base. Who knows. And I wonder how much will the public ranking influence the judges?

We have lots of articles and blog posts about insulated earthbag houses. It's a popular topic because obviously lots of people live in cold regions. The best example is Kelly Hart's house high in the Colorado mountains where the climate is very harsh. His dome home made of earthbags filled with scoria (lava rock) is super efficient. http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/projects/hart.htm

It's easy to build a door so you can add domes in the future if you plan for it. All you do is put a window where you might want a door someday, but you frame it all the way to the floor with a buck, and then fill the space below the window with earthbags. If you decide you want to add on, just cut the plaster below the window and pull those bags out.

Yes, earthbag walls are thicker than brick walls. But there are trade offs in every system. Earthbag is proven to be simple enough for anyone to build and it's passed numerous engineering tests that show it's very safe.

Case in point: Adobe walls are thick, yet they've been used successfully on millions of houses. Now imagine the same earthen material put inside bags that's tamped solid and joined with barbed wire and plaster skins. In essence earthbag uses a timeless building method and adds some modern technology for increased strength and durability.

Thanks. What do you like best? Can you think of any improvements?

Well, knowing the structural capabilities of earthbags, we know it is strong. But also easily learned and spread without expensive equipment. It would create jobs just by people learning the skill. I think with the added capability of extending it, it would be hard to STOP people from building this way. Having built with earthbags myself, I find it an addictive building material. That being said, this knowledge will spread. Though, there is a normalcy bias that may not allow for domes, like the other designs you have, to become mainstream in an area. I think domes are great for people who specifically like them, but are different, so not everyone likes them for that reason. So that's why I prefer this one as opposed to the domes. HOWEVER, with domes you can do w/o purchasing a roof. So that makes more sense for this challenge b/c you don't have to figure out the roof; Which is the only downside to this particular entry you have. The roof is what would have to be thought of more deeply for a scalable solution. Maybe people could use bamboo if they learned how. Possibly a bamboo roof w/tires as shingles? Bamboo grows fast, and in the slums I'm sure tires are easily obtained. Even plastic sheeting on top of bamboo and insulated with plastic bags could work I think. The bamboo would not be spaced, of course. Also, the art of thatching would be a great skill. Teach them skills. That's worth more than $300. I think with this type of scenario, the key component to building a home for $300 is employing the culture with knowledge and skills, not materials. This is why most Earthbags win hands down IMO.

I speak to others, not you Owen, when I say Earthbags are KEY b/c they: 1. Have a balanced temperature w/o a/c or heat if placed right. 2. Are easily taught and learned how to use. 3. Are stronger than typical frames anywhere. 4. Are cheaper than most other materials, or can be acquired for free. I mean what other proof do you need? America needs this, not just the slums. We can't afford our own homes, yet we buy them anyway. But I digress. I was sold on Earthbags the first time I saw it online a few years ago. It IS what the world needs now.

Thanks. Glad to hear your perspective. You made lots of good points. Here are a few comments: - Our earthbag roundhouse is 28 degree C (82F) inside when it's 36 degree C (97F) outside. That's a huge difference. - The inside temperature only changes one or two degrees Celsius between night and day. It's always cool and comfortable. - Earthbag walls take more space than thin walls, but you gain improved comfort, safety, quietness and so on. - This is what America needs. That made me laugh. How true. I'm usually thinking of poverty conditions in much of my work, and yet the US economy is on the skids. - I agree completely with what you said about transfer of knowledge and skills. - Bamboo/thatch roof is one option that I list in my proposal. See the Cost Estimate. I don't show thatch in the drawing due to the fire hazard in crowded conditions, but you know lots of people will probably use thatch. - Earthbag is obviously entering mainstream when you see four earthbag projects in the top 10. That's pretty hard to ignore.

Excellent. Sorry, at first I didn't see the Cost Estimate page. Then there are no downsides to this type of structure. People can find fruit bags in the slums, I'm sure.

Credit cards would work too. Wait, we tried that here, that doesn't work. :p

I can't believe how well Earthbags are doing in this contest, it's great.

The good thing is, codes won't be so much an issue in other places, but hopefully b/c they're gaining popularity, hopefully it will bleed over into the system in the US.

For this contest, they are the best option for sure.

I agree. No major downsides makes them the best or at least one of the best solutions for affordable housing. Most other solutions are not realistic if you do a realistic cost estimate. The main hurdle for some is getting past "thick walls take up too much space." Well yeah, but adobe walls are also thick and millions of people have adobe houses. Earthbag essentially takes that same earthen material and combines it with some modern materials (bags and barbed wire) to create safer, stronger, more durable structures. It doesn't get much simpler than this.

I'm allowing 5 cents/bag in the budget for used bags. Some may be able to obtain them for free or through bartering. Mesh fruit bags are a very good option because the soil dries quickly and improves bonding with plaster. Poly bags are now ubiquitous in most areas, including developing countries. They're often used for storing and transporting rice, animal feed, fertilizer, etc. and then used over and over for transporting things like charcoal, firewood, manure, recycled glass, etc.

Thanks. I think it's the best, most practical design so far. It's not some soulless box. This home addresses all of the important issues of living -- cooking, sleeping, ventilation, privacy, outdoor living space, sanitation, water supply. And it's made of earthbags which create exceptionally strong buildings that are simple to build. Let's test all of the designs presented here on a shake table and see which ones hold up.

Very well said, thank you. I hope everyone reads SarahJane's comment.

I forgot to mention, this design is really easy to see people add their own creative touches to help it fit in with the architecture of their area. The inclusion of the porch is also important, it really ends up being such a gathering place and a place to connect with neighbors. It's important to have that social aspect to the design.

More excellent points, thanks. What seems so obvious to us is lost on some. It's hard to understand why people can't see this. Maybe they're in too big of a hurry and haven't thought things through.

Thanks. I think I should explain the bag situation more clearly. People can use recycled bags and so that's what's shown in the budget. But there's also decent potential for winning over the bag making industry to support this cause. For just a little bit of effort on their part, they could create a large new market for their product. It's certainly worth a try and they would have nothing to lose. Winning a contest such as this would certainly catch their attention and maybe cause them to think this over seriously.

Thanks. This design is rock solid not just in strength but also in practicality. We just finished building a structure almost this size and videoed the process. The video is finished and will be available soon. All the free articles and Instructables and YouTube clips explain everything so the word is spreading fast. Those of us in the earthbag movement are very appreciative for this design contest because it's been highly effective in raising the consciousness of what's available.

Thanks. I'm biased, of course, but yes, I believe this is one of the best, most practical designs. I say that not to boast but to emphasize as a builder with a lifetime of experience in construction that this design meets the needs of slum dwellers and the guidelines of this contest.

Good catch, thanks. I remembered the barbed wire on the dome but somehow forgot about it on this one.

Thanks a lot. I'm seeing a definite trend in positive comments. People's initial skepticism is fading and now they're embracing the concept.

Earthbag is labor intensive much like adobe and other thick wall building systems that hundreds of millions of people live in. This is how people have lived since the beginning of human history and most will not change. This is what they want. Most of them would not want skinny walls that tend to overheat and get cold, cost more money, and not look like their traditional housing. Attempting to change their opinion or force foreign ideas on them probably won't work, because culture and tradition are so powerful.

That said, faster and less labor intensive earthbag systems continue to evolve. Note today's blog post on Very Good Earthbag Walls that summarize some of the leading contenders. http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/very-good-earthbag-walls/

For instance, the Eternally Solar earthbag system can be filled with just sand. Their tubes are sewn into three compartments to create stable walls. Take a look at this photo: http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/earthbag-building-system/ Eternally Solar is building large, cost effective structures.

Or what about filling bags and tubes with lightweight insulating material such as scoria? The work goes much faster because it's like handling bags of popcorn.

Have been done at cal-earth. They had a cement truck filled with soil-cement(earth+portlandcement(10%)) and had many continuos tubes(10m) and pumped it with wet(needs to be wet for the pump) soil cement. The thing is that it is so much water in it the bag start to sweat and it takes longer for the bag to cure. But I guess it was a fun test.

Every machine, tool, technique imaginable has been tried. It's all covered on our Earthbag Building Blog: http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/

I didn't mean that. I'm saying a tremendous amount of experimentation has occurred over the last 20 years. I'm encouraging people to look at what others have done so you don't try to reinvent the wheel. What you're describing has been done numerous times.

So then why is it not implemented in your design?

This design utilizes the latest earthbag techniques. Why wouldn't it? I've been researching and writing about earthbag building for years. But the budget doesn't allow for massive industrialized approaches. It's not reasonable or practical to bring in giant machines to mechanize the process. My proposal emphases local job creation using primarily local materials and labor.

That should say "My proposal emphasizes.."

I didn't mean for you to think expensive, giant machine. I was thinking of simplifying the process mechanically. If I could finance you to build 500,000 homes, then could you fit a bit of industrialization into the budget?

Well, maybe. Take a look at what others have done and send me your ideas. We routinely publish other people's ideas at no charge.

I'm not so sure about the Industrialization. Micro financing maybe but involve Corporations & thier focus on profit will kill any altruistic goals. "Sell your soul....."

schlel if you have $150,000,000.... for housing.... talk to the jury, not the contestants.

I think your missing the point. My great granddad farmed with horses. There was no other way at that time. If he would have had a tractor he wouldn't have had to do so much work and could have planted more ground. Now just because a farmer today has a tractor doesn't mean he has to be a corporate farm. It just makes sense to me that with the tools that already exist, they could be arranged in such a way that it may simplify the task of mass production. To my understanding there is more than one house that needs to be built. Sometime a fresh look opens a door to the people so close they don't see the big picture. I thought if I posted a proposition that others may join in and you may get your fresh look. I do not want any fame and glory for coming up with some new idea. What I do want Is for a new idea that works to improve our world for the better.

I see. You are assuming the objective is to produce housing. That is far from the objective. That is the result.

The objective is to solve poverty in a particular spot. You do that with job creation. You do that by creating a lasting sustainable market. Speeding up the process only helps if you are exporting the product as your father was doing growing crops. But even your father only needed a tractor once the market demand had grown.

I agree the housing needs to be marketed on a large scale but there is no market inviting you in yet. There is no need to start manufacturing until those markets create a demand for your product.

First you need acceptance by local regional & federal governments. You need a product which meets all building codes & best practices. You need to have a fully developed product.

We are still a few years away from that happening. Even with an all out marketing plan.

The US created a demand for larger more upscale housing. They created an unsustainable method of financing that demand. How do you foresee financing the production of this industrial process to bag the dirt? How will those in poverty be able to purchase this sudden explosion of $300.00 homes?

Excellent discussion with lots of good points. Thanks for sharing. Keep it up. We need this sort of dialogue to create truly viable projects.

I don't believe the poverty situation of 3rd world countries can be solved. The problem is that there are no resources (other than the political problems). That is why earthbag construction is so promising, because it literally is dirt cheap. I don't believe that selling dirt is profitable. The plastic that makes up the sand bag could be manufactured locally, but the plastic would still need to be imported. So my feeling is that a more resourceful country is going to have to step in and foot the bill to make this realistic. I guess I chose the wrong words saying industrialize, what I meant was to simplify the process so that this type of housing could be built faster and more efficiently. On that note there is nothing wrong with manual labor. Maybe Owen has been down this road and decided that this is indeed the best way. And as far as building codes I don't think that applies unless your building in California, I live in rural America and there are no building codes that are enforced.

I agree about the importance of using low cost locally available materials. Some places may have lots of bamboo. Lots of places have soil that will work. Use what's available and most appropriate.

We're so used to buying everything. A typical American may spend several thousand dollars building this home. But a poor person would probably barter for recycled bags, dig the soil by hand, borrow the tools and build this for next to nothing.

There is rapid, constant innovation in earthbag building. It's very similar to how strawbale was evolving 10 years ago. Take just five minutes and skim the headlines on our blog for the last year. That's where we report on all the latest developments.

I doubt if there are any codes in slums.

To me this is way deeper then solving poverty. Americans use way more than their fare share of resource. Wealthy people build houses way to big for their needs. I guess they do it for status (keeping up with the Jones) but they do this without even thinking about how this will effect future generations. Money is not backed by gold it's backed by natural resources. Since dirt has a very low value it would seem the logical answer
would be to make small efficient houses from the material they stand on. This contest to me is not about poverty, economics, or politics it's about how to build a house for $300. If you wanted to help the poverty then maybe a proposal to run a fresh water pipeline to the effected areas would be more of a concern.

Right. How to build a house for $300 ... plus build it sustainably without destroying the environment, create local jobs, make it disaster resistant, safe (nontoxic, fire resistant, etc.), meets basic human needs, and is simple enough that anyone can build it. That's quite a challenge.

Thanks. Glad to hear some positive news. This design is 100% foolproof.

Thanks. This design would be easy to adapt to most cultures. That's a key aspect worth repeating. It could be built in 10 countries and take on 10 different styles.

And it's highly livable. Many designs in the contest are basic boxes that feel cold to me. Look closely at this design and it's easy to imagine people living in the home.

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Thanks for the encouragement. It's true what you say and I hope people take some time to research earthbag building more thoroughly. There's a reason why so many designers have entered earthbag projects -- it works! And we can expect to see even more earthbag designs in the future as people become more informed.

Thank you very much. It's worth repeating that this design is super simple. It's much like the Cool Pantry we just finished. Nothing tricky. Nothing fancy. Just standard earthbag building techniques that anyone can learn. Virtually everything people need to know is free on the Internet now. Just search for 'earthbag building.'

if he is a serious builder, then why is he claiming a tamped earth floor is free? you can't fully compress a surface unless you add clean sand, preferably over gravel for protection against rain. and no you can't just use any sand. besides, it takes more sand than you would imagine. the walls of your house as described would fall from the natural soil shift.

If you're a professional builder, then you should know about tamped earth floors made with road base. No sand is needed. Tamped Earth Floors by Frank Meyer http://www.grisb.org/publications/pub11.htm

You've probably heard of the floors in the Taos Native American dwellings. They used the local soil for their adobe walls and floors. This method is dirt cheap. No added sand needed.

do you ever read the articles you link, or do you rush to post the first thing you find on google? according to that article, you would need to truck in about $50 worth of raw material to make an 80sq. ft. floor. and then you need to buy solvents and lacquers to finish the job.

Uh, I wrote the article (interview with Frank Meyer).

Frank lives in Texas and buys road base from local suppliers. But here we're talking about people who have little or no money. Clay and aggregates are often available at very low cost or free. Example: I helped build a strawbale house in South Dakota. As we were building, the owner was digging and hauling sand, gravel and soil. It was all free except for about $5 in gas.

Don't underestimate people! When you have no money then you have to think outside the box. Example: You know those billion plus people who live in earthen houses? (Over 1/3 of humanity.) Do you think they paid US retail prices for their earth? Do you see how laughable that is? They did the same thing as the Taos example above -- they use what they locally available.

Furthermore, we're only talking a few wheelbarrow loads of soil.

you don't dig on other people's property for free unless you are a crook. poor or not, they might have self respect enough not to steal. and how much would the mineral spirits and linseed oil cost? more than american prices because there is no home depot nearby offering volume distribution pricing.

You must be kidding. Anyone can locate a few wheelbarrows of soil for the floor. It doesn't necessarily have to be sealed. See the reference above to the Taos Indians.

so you can't comprehend an article you claim to write? did you copy and paste it then sign your name to it? it says clearly you need to tamp down a great deal of clean sand, which was my point in the first place 3 replies ago. by the way you need a special tool for this. it can't be done with a shovel.

Teigan, yes I wrote that article. You didn't read my proposal carefully, yet you continue to spout rude comments. My patience with you is wearing thin. I said I'm using rubble fill with tamped earth on top. The "special tool" you refer to is the tamper -- the same tools that's used to build the whole house!!!!!! This is positive proof you are not here looking for answers, but only to knock down other people's projects.

And for new readers who haven't been following everything, here are some classic teigan comments: - small plants don't create shade - a few wheelbarrows of soil for the floor is supposedly not affordable

You've been going on and on with comments like this to the point of absurdity. People like you devalue the whole process of this competition and should be banned. And if trolls aren't banned, then fewer people will likely participate in similar contests in the future.

your definition of a troll is anyone who disagrees with you. considering you're a very old man, we can excuse you not being up on the lingo. but also as an old man your poor sportsmanship and emotional tantrums are inexcusable.

Thanks. This contest is primarily for those who live in hot climates. But there are numerous ways to create insulated earthbag houses. Our blog and this article cover some of the possibilities: How to Build an Insulated Earthbag House http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-an-Insulated-Earthbag-House/

One example: Kelly Hart pioneered the use of scoria (lava rock) filled bags. His home is super energy efficient even at 10,000 or so feet in the Colorado Rockies.

This is in the top 10 right now and so obviously most people don't agree with your faulty conclusion.

the top 10 hmm thats probably not the best argument for youre design. i think it can work but is it the best way. the problem i see here the most in all the projects is that there are great examples but all for different locations. so it can work in some places and probably just wont work in others. generally i also have doubts about the inhabitants of course they will identify with the building if they built it on their own but do they want to build this?

cheers shame it is too late would have liked to participate

good luck

Glad to reply to intelligent/sincere questions. The previous poster has scattered loads of negative comments across various projects. I give these type of people only cursory answers because I know they're not worth my time.

Is my design the best way? The ultimate? Who knows. Everybody wants something different. Every design presented in this contest will have to be adapted to a degree. I'm sure I've pointed out in the comments above where I recommend: 1. working where earth building is already practiced and accepted, 2. adapting the design to gain local acceptance. This approach should speed adoption and gain customer support.