Alternative homes are popping all over the world. The next example comes from Nagano, Japan. The earthbag house may seem like a building coming from fantasy novels, but it is a real place you can live in. The builder, Michi-kun, is an experienced carpenter and permaculturist. He got together 20 volunteers and began work on the inspiring home you can see in the pictures. The walls raised with bags of earth sit on a 60 cm-deep rubble trench foundation. The spiral house draws its name from the way the roof is arranged: in a spiral! There, various kinds of plants are grown. Thus, visitors and dwellers alike can harvest seeds to take to their own gardens. On the interior you can find a rocket stove and other basic furniture required for living simply and in connection with nature.

Looking for a very stable design which does not only come cheap from the start but also makes you save money in the long run. Due to its shape and materials used, the earthbag house has less area than your normal home, so it’s cheaper to keep it supplied with energy. Don’t be scared if you never built circular structures before, because the example shown here used a technique called the compass arm which you can easily learn. Recycled or salvaged materials were used wherever it was possible, like in the door or on the floor. The tutorial has photos showcasing almost each step of the building process so if you decide to replicate the project, use it to help and guide you along the way. At the end you will have the comfort of 450 ft² with less than $5,000 spent overall.

Starting on the rubble trench foundation. Railroad ballast was used for the rubble.

Covering over our sediment fabric with pea gravel.

Two rows of stem wall – 80 lb sack concrete. 2 strands of barbed wire go between every row. The thing in the middle is our building compass, made from chain link parts, used to keep the walls round and level.

Firewood used to hold the barbed wire in place. The row of gravel bags going in.  When tamped, they are about 2 inches thick.

Door frame up.  The bottom layer of bags are double bags filled with gravel to keep water from wicking up into the walls.

A strip anchor to hold the door in place. Filling a bag with a mix of clay soil from on-site and “screenings” from a gravel quarry.

Mary Jane and Morgan on right

The little window near the camera will also be a cold storage in the winter. Note our first lintel over window in back.  This keeps the wall stable over an “open” area such as a door or window.

People don’t always have the right tools or materials at disposal to build a structure that will suit their needs. In urban areas, a lot is done by machinery, but there are places where bags of earth replace all of the technology. The principles of building homes are still in place though, so it won’t be impossible. The DIY earthbag round house is a pretty good choice, both in terms of aesthetics and efficiency. You will end up with a financially accessible building and a home resistant to harsh weather conditions. Check out the list of materials required and make sure you have all before you start. When all of the preparatory actions are done, measuring the circle, positioning the bags and so on and so forth, you have to know that you’ll be pouring cement between the bags and also a thin coat over them before troweling all the plaster smooth. This must be taken into consideration when hiring help for raising this kind of house. Follow all of the steps included in the tutorial (by Owen Geiger) and good luck!