Spiral Earthbag in Missouri

Hi Everyone,

So we're getting everything together to start our earthbag home this spring.  We are using the spiral floorplan by Owen Geiger with a couple of modifications.  It will be fullly earthbermed but for the south wall and two windows to the north.  We are also adding a pantry inside the west retaining wall.  I'm considering creeping thyme for the groundcover over it.  We will also be using Paul's wofati techniques (thank you so much for sharing them!) by facing the bare wall uphill and adding two layers of plastic.  Here in Southern Missouri, we do have four seasons, but cooling is definitely the most energy demanding, so we feel earth construction is ideal. We'll try to update as things go along.  Hopefully the bags will be here mid-January.

Sherry

Hi Sherry,

I have a lot of experience building with Earthbags. I've built two code approved residential structures and multiple smaller demonstrations, among teaching workshops.  I really like the design you've chosen, it will be a beautiful structure.  I may heading out that way in the Spring to the Dancing Rabbit Community.  We shall see!  Feel free to ask any questions of me about EB building.  I am happy to share all that I know!

Happy Designing and building,

peace,

Jeff
earthjeffone At Gmail.com

Jeff,

Thank you so much for you offer of sharing you experience.  We aren't too far from Dancing Rabbit, just under two hours.  We may definitely be taking you up on your offer of advise.

Sherry

Hello melwynnd,  I just stumbled onto this website today from a link that a friend sent to me and I live in SW Missouri also.  Please make sure to post about your progress so I can follow and keep up with it.

My wife and I live on a small 5 acre farm outside of Springfield.  We don't have a storm-shelter currently and we are contemplating using earthbags to build a storm-shelter/root cellar.  I am really new to this type of architecture and am most interested in it.

Would so love to hear/see updates on your Spiral!

Jeff! How is your dbl-eco at Joshua tree performing for you? Is there anything you would like to do differently next time?

Where we can see earth bag homes near Springfield Missouri.
We like to build also a earth bag house near Springfield Missouri.

Living in Kansas City, MO, I'd also love to be able to visit and see the earthbag home (as well as any other alternative home styles from fellow permies. My wife is not on board at this time, so we are stuck in the city for now, but if we could see some homes that she might find pretty, or cute, charming, etc. maybe that would help change her mind. I think she just can't see them as comfortable and generational homes, is a big part of it. In Bolivia, where she is from, many people live in houses that are mainly brick and wood, terra cotta shingle roofs, etc., and the same family has lived there since they were built over a hundred years ago... Are there any permies that maybe we could chat with in the MO/KS area, that might at least consider showing off their hopefully energy efficient home? I am most interested in long term efficiency and something that I could pass on to my 7 year old twins some day.

Leif

Leif, I have been avidly trying to find anyone willing to fulfill the same request for a while now!
There was a guy down in Ava, had a whole permaculture thing going too, but he’s removed the ability to book/contact through airbnb...then there’s Dancing Rabbit, which is a great idea but given my profession (education, which for my particular career that I absolutely love) requires being in/on outskirts of city, so isn’t exactly the model I strive for.
I know that every October the Monolithic Dome institute sponsors a national dome home day, whereby dome homeowners can open their doors to help educate the public. But the past two years I have either missed any Missouri/Kansas participants, or there haven’t been any. It would be so cool if Sherry was willing to share in their successes/challenges, or someone!
P.S. If anyone is about to start the building process in the coming months and wants a set of willing hands to help and learn through the process, I’m game (I currently live in an eastern suburb of KC MO, but if you’re further out, and have a decent place for me to hang up my boots for a long weekend, I’ll be happy to help).
I hope somebody sees this!

We are moving to the Ozarks to a 6 acre plot so I'd like to see the out come

I would like to build one in Kansas City, MO, maybe in Kansas. Or a third option down near Warsaw maybe. What are the difficulties in dealing with codes? Also I'm happy to take any referrals to reputable architects. Glad to see more folks getting on the band wagon! I'm particularly interested in discussing some things with larger scale developers also. I would like to see a Permaculture School built here, I think it would help the economy locally.