The first House Alive Post
Here it is people. A forum that connects the House Alive family. Keeping your mud dreams alive!
How earthen buildings last
Some of the oldest buildings and structures on the planet are made out of earth. Parts of the Great Wall of China were made out of adobe...
Earthen building and the code
We get many questions about how earthen construction works in conjunction with the building code. Here are some of our insights: 1....
Cob is labor intensive
Often, when discussing the pros and cons of building with cob, or earthen materials in general, it is brought up that it is such a labor...
Woody Guthrie's "House of Earth"
This Land Was His Land (Originally published in the New York Times, July 9 2012) By DOUGLAS BRINKLEY and JOHNNY DEPP The legend of Woody...
Reflections on the natural building movement
During a week in October, a group of about 80 natural builders came together for the annual “Natural Building Colloquium” in Southern...
Schools, hospitals and prisons
A few weeks ago we went to visit friends who run a children’s camp on the shores of Lake Tahoe, CA, to relax and spend some time on the...
Island building
Recently I had the good fortune to visit a small island off the coast of El Salvador. The island, called “Isle de Meangueara”, can only...
Building a house with a spouse
OK, it’s a funny rhyme, but it is a serious occasion. Building a house with the one you love can be a dangerous undertaking for your...
Soft materials
It is important to consider the characteristics of the materials you bring into your house. By understanding how they effect you, you can...