We had built such a close relationship with the biochar farmers participating in our ADB biochar project that we could not simply leave them alone after the devastating earthquake destroyed their homes. Thanks to the generous donations of the friends of Ithaka and a building design as beautiful as it is simple, all 20 farmer families that lost their homes were able to move into new, safe earthbag houses only a few short months after the earthquake . The houses are made using 95% local, natural materials and were built without machines but with local craftsmanship and many helping hands.

Many thousands of clay houses crumbled during the recent earthquakes in Nepal. But that did not happen because of insufficient strength of the clay as a building material, but rather because basic construction rules were disregarded. Gernot Minke, an international expert on clay building, explains in this interview how to build clay houses that resist earthquakes even better...

The construction with earthbags is the cheapest and most simple way to build rapidly safe houses with natural materials. However, some principle rules of statics and earthquake resisitant building have to be respected. The following guidlines try to give an easy to understand outline of the main principles to follow in order to be safely housed in your new building.