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Straw House  Cob House Build With Earth Homes made from earth have provided inexpensive, durable, eco-friendly shelter since ancient times. After all, dirt is free and will provide easy, natural insulation. What does an earth house look like? The sky's the limit. Tomorrow's homes may be made of glass and steel -- or they may resemble the shelters built by our prehistoric ancestors. Architects and engineers are taking a new look at ancient building techniques. Imagine a magical building material. It's cheap, perhaps even free. It's plentiful everywhere, worldwide. It's strong enough to hold up under extreme weather conditions. It's inexpensive to heat and cool. And it's so easy to use that workers can learn the necessary skills in a few hours. This miraculous substance isn't only cheap as dirt, it is dirt, and it's winning new respect from architects, engineers, and designers. One look at the Great Wall of China will tell you how durable earthen construction can be. And, concerns for the environment and energy conservation make ordinary dirt look downright appealing. What does an earth house look like? Perhaps it will resemble the 400-year-old Taos Pueblo. Or, tomorrow's earth homes may take on surprising new forms. Types of Earth Construction An earth house can be made in a variety of ways:   Adobe Rammed Earth Cob (mud with straw) Compressed Earth Straw Bale   Or, the house may be made with concrete but sheltered underground. No one can argue with the environmental benefits of using mud and straw. But the ecological building movement does have critics. In an interview with The Independent, Patrick Hannay, from the Welsh School of Architecture, attacked the straw bale structures at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. "There would appear to be little aesthetic leadership here," Hannay said. But, you be the judge. Does "responsible architecture" have to be unsightly? Can a cob, straw bale or earth sheltered home be attractive and comfortable? Would you like to live in one? They are well insulated and can take on numerous forms. Earth is probably still the world's most common building material. The word cob comes from an old English root meaning a lump or rounded mass. Cob building uses hands and feet to form lumps of earth mixed with sand and straw, a sensory and aesthetic experience similar to sculpting with clay. Cob is easy to learn and inexpensive to build. Because there are no forms, ramming, cement or rectilinear bricks, cob lends itself to organic shapes: curved walls, arches and niches. Earth homes are cool in summer, warm in winter. Cob's resistance to rain and cold makes it ideally suited to cold climates like the Pacific Northwest, and to desert conditions. Cob has been used for millennia even in the harsh climates of coastal Britain, at the latitude of the Aleutians. Thousands of comfortable and picturesque cob homes in England have been continuously occupied for many centuries and now command very high market values. With recent rises in the price of lumber and increasing interest in natural and environmentally safe building practices, cob is enjoying a renaissance. This ancient technology doesn't contribute to deforestation, pollution or mining nor depend on manufactured materials or power tools. Earth is non-toxic and completely recyclable. In this age of environmental degradation, dwindling natural resources, and chemical toxins hidden in our homes, doesn't it make sense to return to nature's most abundant, cheap and healthy building material? Adobe Definition: Adobe is a term widely used in the southwestern United States and Spanish speaking countries. Although the word is often used to describe an architectural style, adobe is actually a building material. Adobe "bricks" are usually made with tightly compacted earth, clay, and straw. However, construction methods and the composition of the adobe will vary according to climate and local customs. Sometimes an asphalt emulsion is added to help waterproof the adobe bricks. A mixture of Portland cement and lime may also be added, but these materials will add to the cost. In parts of Latin America, fermented cactus juice is used for waterproofing. Also Known As: Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) resemble adobe, except they usually do not contain straw or asphalt, and they more uniform in size and shape. Examples: Pueblo style houses are usually made with adobe. Typical Adobe House    Contemporary Wood and Adobe Rammed Earth Definition: Rammed earth construction resembles adobe construction. Both use soil mixed with waterproofing additives. However, even with the waterproofing additives, adobe requires dry weather so that the bricks can harden enough to build walls. In rainy parts of the world, builders developed "rammed earth" construction. A mixture of soil and cement are compacted into forms. Later, the forms are removed and solid earth walls remain. Rammed earth buildings are environmentally-friendly and fire and termite resistant. Some modern-day designers also say that the thick earthen walls create a sense of solidity and security. Also Known As: In various parts of the world, the terms Pisé, Jacal, and Barjareque also describe forms of earth construction similar to rammed earth.    Contemporary Rammed Earth House Rammed Earth Walls    Cob (Mud with Straw)  Definition: In Old English, cob was a root word that meant lump or rounded mass. Cob houses are made of clay-like lumps of soil, sand, and straw. Unlike adobe and straw bale construction, cob does not use bricks or blocks. Instead, wall surfaces can be sculpted into smooth, sinuous forms. A cob home may have sloping walls, arches and lots of wall niches. Cob homes are one of the most durable types of earth architecture. Because the mud mixture is porous, cob can withstand long periods of rain without weakening. A plaster made of lime and sand may be used to windproof the exterior walls from wind damage. Cob houses are suitable for the desert or for very cold climates.   Curved Cob Interior A Well Designed Cob House    Compressed Earth Definition:  Compressed Earth Blocks, or CEBs, are construction blocks made with clay, sand, and a stabilizing ingredient such as lime or Portland cement. The earth mixture is poured into a hydraulic press machine. Since they are machine-made, compressed earth blocks are uniform in size and shape. A school made from Compressed Earth Blocks A contemporary CEB home Straw Bale Definition: On the African plains, houses have been made of straw since the Paleolithic times. Straw construction became popular in the America when pioneers discovered that no amount of huffing and puffing would blow down hefty bales of straw and grass. Architects and engineers are now exploring new possibilities for straw bale construction. Modern day "pioneers" who are building and living in these homes say that building with straw instead of conventional materials cuts the construction costs by as much as half. Contemporary Straw Bale House Building with Straw Bales is Economical Earth Sheltered Definition: Earth sheltered, or underground, houses lie mostly beneath the ground surface. The surrounding soil provides natural insulation, making these houses inexpensive to heat and cool. The best location for an earth sheltered house is on a well-drained hillside. Windows facing the south or an overhead skylight will fill the interior with sunshine. Designers of underground homes have developed several methods for regulating the interior temperature. Some underground homes depend entirely on the natural insulation provided by the walls and floors. Sometimes tubes are channeled through the earth to bring in air. And, sometimes a heat pump is used to regulate temperatures. Earth sheltered homes are typically made of concrete. Construction costs can run 10% higher than that of a conventional house. However, enthusiasts say that the lower maintenance and energy costs make earth sheltered homes a good buy. Earth sheltered homes are not suitable for permafrost regions. Earth sheltered houses are well insulated Underground House