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Hugelkultur, is a permaculture garden bed technique where wood is buried under the soil. It can be built in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be used for growing a variety of "garden plants". The decomposing wood acts "like a sponge to hold water", making hugelkultur ideal for areas that receive little rainfall. Over time, the wood shrinks and creates air pockets, resulting in a self-tilling garden bed. This "soil on wood" technique helps to retain moisture and nutrients in the soil, which benefits the plants. Hugelkultur is an environmentally sustainable gardening technique because it uses wood that might otherwise be discarded.

Hugelkultur is a permaculture technique that can be described as "soil on wood". It involves burying wood, including logs, branches, and twigs, to build raised garden beds. This technique, which can be small or as large as a kilometer, creates a beneficial environment for plants. As the wood decays, it provides nutrients to the soil and improves drainage and aeration. It also becomes "a sponge to hold water," reducing or eliminating the need for irrigation. Using wood that would otherwise be discarded for hugelkultur is an environmentally sustainable way to improve soil health and grow food

WOFATI, an innovative sustainable building technique coined by permaculture advocate Paul Wheaton, stands for Woodland Oehler Freaky-cheap Annualized Thermal Inertia. The design utilizes readily available natural materials like wood and earth to create a "soil on wood" structure that harmonizes with the surrounding woodland. The "freaky-cheap" construction methods pioneered by Mike Oehler and further developed by Wheaton significantly reduce building costs. WOFATI structures are characterized by a double layer of membrane, a "two-skin" system that encapsulates the earthen roof, ensuring dryness and longevity. The principle of Annualized Thermal Inertia is key, using the earth's mass to regulate temperature, providing passive heating in winter and cooling in summer. WOFATI houses feature large windows on the uphill side for optimal passive solar gain, while the downhill side typically boasts a large gable roof, also incorporating glazing for natural light penetration. Allerton Abbey, located at Wheaton Labs, serves as a prime example of a WOFATI house