GroovyGreen.com – Start Today :: Save Tomorrow

I have these incredibly ambitious plans to a.) build a cozy strawbale home and b.) build a unique ‘master of my universe’ office separate from the main home. I’m not looking for anything large, just something unique and interesting to retreat to when necessary.

In the past, I’ve thought about investing in a hobbit house — but honestly, it looked a little complicated for my skills (or lack thereof.) I can’t remember where I’ve seen them before, but the other alternative I had in mind ’stumbled’ back into my brain. It’s called Eco-Dome construction and, as the site clarifies, would also work well as a ‘moon cocoon’.

Eco-Domes are tree-free, earth-filled Superadobe coils that can be built by teams of 3-5 people. Based on the site specs, there’s no real limit to how creative you can get with circular additions. One Dome can give you about 400sq feet — a perfectly manageable size for a first-time owner builder. Depending on local code, you can also incorporate a wood stove, solar, or radiant heating. This type of construction is very similar to strawbale with plaster coatings on each side of the coils. Obviously, the insulation values are quite good. They’re probably best suited for drier climates, but with the right foundation, I’m sure they would work just fine here in the Northeast.

Click the site to find out more. Construction blueprints (certified to California code) are available; as well as instructional DVDs and booklets.