Project Gallery
Harrison House Art & Ecology Site
United Earth Builders was commissioned by the curator of the Harrison House, Eva Soltes, to collaborate with the incredibly divine artist Dominique Moody on a sunken garden structure to pay homage to the late Lou Harrison, and give tribute to the Earth with Art & Ecology.
Joshua Tree Music Festival
Mandala Benches
United Earth Builders was commissioned by the hosts of the Joshua Tree Music Festival in Southern California to continue to improve the music bowl with a pair of earthen benches. With the strength of a volunteer force, we collaboratively completed construction in a total of 12 days, foundation to finish. We focused on using mostly on site material by gathering soil from the music bowl and rocks gathered on the back side of the Jtree campground. Volunteers were encouraged to place their own artwork, intentions & knick-knacks in the bench finish plaster to add to the beauty of human hand work. See more at:
UEB Eco-Guest House Prototype
United Earth Builders Eco-Guest House Prototype is the pinnacle of environmental friendliness. From the design to the materials, we have been using near zero cement construction in our earthbag structures that will adhere to building codes within the US and abroad. The strength of the circle and arch is already a timeless design that is structurally proven to withstand natural disasters and is also visually appealing and a holistic space to live in. This particular structure features local soil with dry lake bed clay for stabilization. Only the vault has 15% Portland cement and reinforced mesh for stability. Rebar pinnings are placed in areas, such as around doors and windows for added strength. Future plans are for an 8" light straw clay mix to be the major insulator on the exterior with a lime finish plaster. The interior will feature cob and a mini rocket mass heater for winter. For outside living area, we will include an exterior kitchen and composting toilet.
Earth Home Builder Prototype 1
United Earth Builders has taken a levee building auger invented by Progressive Innovations LLC and repurposed it to build earth bag homes! For large scale projects the Earth Home Builder (EHB) is the best option when hand labor is unaffordable or not available.
Yurok Reservation Prototype
Our second prototype on the Yurok Indian Reservation in Weitchpec, CA is a 1225sqft private home designed by Monique Sonoquie and Richard Meyers. The roof is going to be a traditional Yurok design. The area is depressed and current HUD housing is incredibly delapidated and inadequate for anyone to live in. This structure is a model for future projects in the area in order to bring the earthbag trade to the community and provide strong, simple and affordable housing. The construction waste has been near zero and is another example of a near zero carbon footrpint. The wall fill is road base, rebar pinned, earthcrete bond beam and all fell trees are being used in the finishing of the structure. The power and water are all fed through the nearby creek.
Uncommon Good
Whole Earth Building (WEB)
Uncommon Goods' Whole Earth Building (WEB) will be constructed on the site where the original inhabitants of the region settled 7,000 years ago. Their descendants, the Tongva tribal members, are partnering with Uncommon Good. This partnership is intended to teach the public about the values and culture of the Native Americans who lived on the land sustainably for thousands of years, and who are working today to restore respect for nature. Uncommon Good will offer environmental education from the site with a variety of educational, community and government partners.
This project has been considered of such significance that it has been endorsed by Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection, a national organization devoted to preservation of the environment. The building will be the first Whole Earth Building in the world. Already it has generated excitement across the planet. Our WEB ground-breaking made press on every continent except Antarctica. The partially constructed building was chosen as the back-drop for the regional photo for the 2012 Climate Impacts Day and was beamed around the world. For more on Uncommon Good and the Claremont Environmental Design Group click the links:
(http://uncommongood.org/) (http://www.cedg-design.com/index2.htm) ​​
The Bonita Domes Project
The Bonita Domes Project, was issued their San Bernardino County building permits in April 2011 for their 2.5 acre project and since has progressed remarkably well. Owner/builder Lisa Starr along with her partner/foreman Gabriel have constructed a beautiful compliment to the Joshua Tree area using the technique of earth bag. The site consists of 15 livable dome structures ranging from 8 to 18 feet in height. There are 2 full bathrooms and closets, bedrooms, sleeping pods and a large 12 foot bathhouse! There is also a vaulted laundry room and 12 foot dome kitchen with storage apse. For the beautiful days they have included an in-ground Kiva fire pit and outdoor superadobe kitchen with gazebo. ​​