Abstract
The purpose of this study was to promote the awareness of the earthbag building system, while calling attention to its sustainable properties. Although the earthbag building system allows for the construction of affordable and sustainable housing, it is not widely known and its sustainable characteristics have, therefore, gone unrecognized throughout the home building industry. A case study was conducted for this research. A private earthbag residence located in Crestone, Colorado, was selected based upon the builders experience and expertise in the earthbag building system. Interviews were conducted to acquire insight into the construction methods and materials used for the earthbag building system. Sustainable characteristics were assessed using criteria set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Home program that intends to transform traditional home building practices into those that are more sustainable. By studying an existing earthbag residence in conjunction with the USGBC LEED Home program, it was possible to promote the awareness of the sustainable properties of the earthbag building system. This knowledge has implications throughout the housing industry, allowing for the construction of affordable and sustainable homes.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Brooke Barnes
Brooke Barnes is a Graduate Student, Mihyun Kang is Assistant Professor, and Huantian Cao is Assistant Professor, Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. Partial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under a STAR Research Assistance Agreement No. SU832506 (P3 Award: ANational Student Design Competition for Sustainability) is gratefully acknowledged.
Mihyun Kang
Brooke Barnes is a Graduate Student, Mihyun Kang is Assistant Professor, and Huantian Cao is Assistant Professor, Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. Partial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under a STAR Research Assistance Agreement No. SU832506 (P3 Award: ANational Student Design Competition for Sustainability) is gratefully acknowledged.
Huantian Cao
Brooke Barnes is a Graduate Student, Mihyun Kang is Assistant Professor, and Huantian Cao is Assistant Professor, Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. Partial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under a STAR Research Assistance Agreement No. SU832506 (P3 Award: ANational Student Design Competition for Sustainability) is gratefully acknowledged.