Earthquake-proof

Here at the Farm House there is currently being constructed an experimental, earthquake-proof house. The house is built using stacked bags of sand instead of bricks or concrete, and then is plastered with clay. The design was thought up by Sangam, who wants to build a sample house here made of completely local materials to see if it is feasible to build in more remote areas.

By the time I arrived the sandbags had already been stacked within the frame of the house (built with bamboo, of course). The sandbags have more give than concrete or bricks, and so during an earthquake would be able to give flexibility while maintaining the integrity of the house itself. A metal net was then put around the house for stability. We dug into the clay rich earth and mixed up some mud and plastered the netting, and then the roof was added last. It was cheap and relatively easy to make, and provides for very stable housing. This sample house provides much hope for future building projects; there is the potential here to create many spaces that people can call home.

The house is made completely from mud from the farm

Sandbags are used in the walls instead of bricks or concrete