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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Sep 29, 2008, at 9:50 PM, Shepperd wrote:

> I heard on NPR on Saturday, that a South African architectural firm,
> MMM, was named the winner of the inaugural Curry Stone Design Prize
> at the IdeaFestival in Louisville.
>
> The MMM design uses sandbags in a similar way as Nader Khalili,
> except timber frames are used for stability.   Here are some pictures
> of one of their projects, dating back to February, 2008:
> http://www.dezeen.com/2008/02/27/sand-bag-houses-by-mma-architects-2/

Reminds me of cob wall construction. Better because sand in bags  
requires no tedious mixing.

The double studs with spaced webbing looks good for walls. It looks  
really bad to set trusses or joists upon the same laid flat.

As with many earth-utilization building techniques, this design looks  
like it might do well in a hot, dry climate. Like strawbale houses, to  
use it in a temperate climate with forty to fifty inches of annual  
precipitation, it would minimally require a raised concrete foundation.

And in none of the photos do I see headers or lintels positioned to  
form door or window openings.

What I like best about it is the utilization of material that is on- 
site: sand. It will of course require mud- or concrete-based stucco to  
keep the sacks from deteriorating from the sun. If mud, yearly  
maintenance.