Lisa and Shepherd's House in South Africa

This house represents a radical departure from the standard approach to economic housing. It's construction blends the ancient practice of earthbuilding with modern technology, to create a home that has many advantages....

The aim of this project was to build a home for Lisa and Shepherd whilst demonstrating the unique Eternally Solar Earthbag construction techniques and other sustainable technologies. Sustainable features of Lisa and Shepherd's House include:

• The Earthbag building system
• Low cost solar water heating
• Integral grey water system and innovative toilet flush system
• Low flow water outlets
• Solar lighting system
• Recycled cellulose (newspaper) ceiling insulation
• Permaculture garden irrigated with grey water

We hope this will give you the opportunity to view the technical aspects of building this sustainable home.

Walls going up

Cramped building conditions

Construction of a lintel within earthbags

Rafters in place

Scratch plaster coat

Window in interior plaster: Earthbags, not bricks

A future happy home

Completed scratch coating

Windows and doors going in

Lisa and Shepherds new home

The vegetable garden and solar geyser

Ring beam in gabled post and beam house

Earthbag infill panels

Earthbag infill panels

Plaster scratch coat

Simple foudations- Sand cement mix

Stem walls

Stacked and compacted bags

Stacked and compacted bags

Walls completed

Detail of door with lintel built into earthbags

6 meter poles in place

Plaster scratch coat

External rustic plaster finish

Testing plaster topcoat pigments

Test wall at Peninsula University of Technology

Test wall going up

View of stabilising top and "ring beam"

Stippled with stirobond/cement scurry

2.4 metre test lintel- first layer of 4

Plaster scratch coat on wall

Clay plaster test wall

Clay plaster- First rough layer