Goal For The Green

Before he passed away last year, architect and founder of Cal-Earth, Nader Khalili, had created a futuristic housing movement.  He had prototyped his dome-shaped adobes, or “moon-cocoons” on a commission  from NASA  for a lunar colony.  Then he realized that they could take root here on earth…and that they have!

Most of us go to work to be able to pay off our mortgage on our house.  At the same time, we are unaware of the damage to both our health and nature, caused by conventional construction methods.

The first thing to do if we want to create a sustainable building is to eliminate the use of any toxins.  Eco-Domes are built using the earth itself as material.  They use a special sandbag (local earth) and barbed-wire technology called SuperAdobe.  No chemicals or toxins are used, just lime stabilized in the bags, and sometimes cement is added in wetter climates, but is certainly not necessary.  The end result, is a very pretty and stable house that meets California’s strict earthquake requirements.

Built with the sun, wind and shade in mind for passive heating and cooling, you will want to consider the possiblity of installing a solar photovoltaic system and perhaps a small hydro installation, if you don’t have a stream nearby.

There is no greater respect you can show for yourself and for nature, than by building a sustainable building with your own two hands.  While most of the Ec0- domes are 400 or 800 square feet, they can be joined together for a larger dwelling.  They also have a 2,000 sq. ft. model that can be built for $3,000 worth of bags and barbed-wire! Cal-Earth is a non-profit organization that offers workshops teaching you how to build your  house, out of SuperAdobe with a team of 3-5 people in a week!

With the main building material being earth, the simplicity of the SuperAdobe technique, allows for the possibility to quickly build emergency shelters, whenever and wherever they are need anywhere in the world. Most recently, a team from Cal-Earth has gone to Darfur, to help rebuild the damage and devastation to villages there.

It was 1984, when we had this dome home built. We were very happy and proud of our first home.  We thought we would always be there, but in ’84 interest rates were 13.5%. We struggled for 4 1/2 years and due to things out of our control we became upside down in the loan. We did get it sold, but like many people are going through now, we took a loss.

I can’t think of any drawbacks to living in a dome home.  It was easy to heat, and fit well into the northwest lifestyle.  We especially liked the acoustics on Saturday mornings when the kids got up to watch cartoons. From our master suite in the loft, they always wondered how we knew what they were into without actually seeing them.  It was great.  There are still plans available for this type of dome home, and many varying designs to choose from, including ones with riser walls.

The first Biohome was created by NASA, with the idea of supporting one person in a fully functional habitat.  You might recall the 1973 Skylab project, in which NASA did studies on indoor air quality, and did research involving closed ecological life support systems.

The folks at biohome.net feel the future is now.  They have adapted Buckminster Fuller’s original design of the geodesic dome (which ours was modeled after) and came up with the foam version.  They boast having the best “Bio home Foam” on the planet.  The polyurethane foam is the same stuff used by NASA.  It will not sag or shrink, and is mold and bacteria resistant.

The goal at biohome, is to allow you to live totally “off the grid.”  They provide a unique design, that allows you to be the owner and builder.  This frees you from contractor fees ( a big money saver), and power and water bills.  You can obtain a kit that shows you how to build your own solar toilet.  It requires no plumbing, water, or moving parts.  You can also learn how to make drinking water, no matter where you are on the planet.

While the closed system housing idea will not appeal to everyone, it can free up many resources.  Most importantly, it can free up personal time, of which there never seems to be enough of.  With the recent focus being on our energy dependence, this could be the answer for those willing to pursue it.  Just imagine if humans and our dwellings could be the solution to sustainable living.