The Eco-Dome Project

I recently had the chance to work on a housing project in Baja Mexico that was building an Eco-Dome. Like me, when I was first introduced to the project, I was unaware what an Eco-Dome was. So let me take a few words to explain this type of building.     

    An Eco-Dome is a superadobe structure with walls made of sandbags and barbed wire. Designed by Cal-Earth, originally meant for NASA to build on the Moon and extraterrestrial planets, now looks to use local building materials to form a sturdy structure for a home here on earth. The structure uses the nearby dirt, sand, and earth to fill sandbags in a cylindrical formation to form a stable structure. Each layer has a strip of barbed wire to help with tension forces on the building. Plaster is then placed around the sandbags for weather protection and aesthetic appeal. Here are some pictures of the particular Eco-Dome I had the privilege of working on.

 Inside you can see the staircase up to the second story, as well as the tile flooring. Notice the windows around the house to provide natural lighting. The base walls are made of extra long sandbags that are 2 feet wide to help keep the inside temperature different from the outside temperature, so hot outside should leave the inside cool, and cool outside should leave the inside a bit warmer. This technique is common for sustainable designs. 

      Another sustainable building design that is common besides the Eco-Dome is the Earthship. This looks to use local trash and recyclables to build a versatile and economic design. By using rubber car tires, glass bottles, and earth (among other materials), the Earthship is designed to capture natural sunlight and rainwater to help provide heating and water for the house. The Earthship is typically faced southward, with windows allowing sunlight to heat up the rubber tires on the inside of the home for heat. Solar and wind power have also been a common option to provide basic electricity needs. Although tires and glass bottles are typically free for the scavenger, the Earthship uses concrete and stucco to form a structured wall around the recycled materials.

    These type of housing designs have been evolving ever since they have been developed, and they have yet to be finalized in any particular form. Each Eco-Dome or Earthship is unique in a different environment or terrain. This flexibility allows for change and innovation in any location on the planet.