There are some obvious and not so obvious reasons to use earthbag technology when building a home. It is nearly amusing to think that something that was created far in our planet’s past is now rediscovered and looked upon as the way to build in Earth’s (and Mars) future!

1. Earthquake resistance
Earthbag is the most indestructible sustainable building technique in existence. Earthbag buildings are so tough they have been known to damage the earthquake-testing equipment and show no sign of structural weakness.

2. Simplicity
There’s not much more to it than filling up sacks with wet mud, laying them end to end and squashing them flat. Rings of barbed wire are run between the layers to prevent them from slipping away from each other.

3. Energy efficiency
An earthbag house stores both heat and cool. There’s no need for an air conditioner in summer, and in winter – if you place your windows strategically to absorb the maximum sunlight – your house is cozy and warm long after the sun goes down.

4. Perfect for unconventional designs, circular or oval-shaped buildings, domes or arches
You can create all manner of interesting shapes with earthbag. Curvy or round walls are both strong and easy to construct. Earthbag is also famed for its domes and arches. It’s a beautifully flexible building method.

5. Bullet and shrapnel proof
An earthbag house normally has walls about 40-60 cm thick, which is a boon if you’re expecting a firearm attack, or happen to live in a war zone. Unless someone’s popping round with a warhead, you can feel pretty unassailable.

6. Inexpensive to build
The only expense with earthbag building is the sacks and the barbed wire. My home cost me about $5000, but most of that money was spent on labour, the floorboards and the roof.

7. Beauty
When people first saw my home without its mud plaster finish, they thought it looked like a bomb shelter. I’m happy to say, that is no longer the prevailing opinion.

While we may not be going into deep space for quite some time it’s good to know that the product is available and plentiful here on Earth! And it is also economical!

This may well be the way to build and bug-out during a SHTF scenario but it can also be wrought for everyday life. As Mother Earth News shows us, with a few modifications, you can have a safe and very happy home – and real cool design too!

Featured Image via Flickr