Plastering the Domes
Benito and Carlos Victoria, two gentlemen from Oaxaca, have been hired by Jose Maria (Chema) to plaster. I haven’t helped much, except to share the...
Framing the Doors and Windows with 'Eyebrows'
‘Ceja’ is the term for ‘eyebrow’ and we use one on each window and door. They serve two purposes:
Provide a visual break to the dome's flat surface...
Niches in the 3 Domes
I was commited to making niches before curing took place, as during Hootenanny I we didn’t do the ‘carving’ early, before the concrete 'cured’. This...
Framing vs Cutting: the pros and cons of two approaches to Windows and Doors
This was the main motivation for trying another set of domes: by avoiding the framing process, it would provide significant time and material savings....
The Bathroom Dome - freestyling with the metrics.
The bathroom is an appendage onto the Bedroom Dome, accessed via an interior door. As such, it can ‘lean' it’s weight onto the bigger dome. The plan...
Closing the Bedroom Dome
This was a long project, as it's a big dome, using 16” bags the Dome is 176" inch (14.6 feet) diameter. With the ‘keyhole’ door, 3 arched windows, and...
Ending of the Hootenanny Phase - was it worth it?
The Hootenanny will end today with the leaving of Scott and Amy Hartwell. There are no more gringo visitors planned, and Kate and Eli have just two...
Can a dome be built in 2 days, from foundation to closure?
I certainly had confidence a dome could be built in 2 days, from foundation to closure. But I was 14 years removed from actual earth building work and...
Teen Dome Closing, Notes on how to close a dome
Once the Hootenanny cast dispersed back to N America, we were left with the core Mexican team of Blas, Raul, Gomez, and Ceasar; with Kate and Eli and...
The Hootenanny Was a Success
Hootenanny II was an amazing experience. The team started to arrive on Monday night and we spent Tuesday getting to know each other. Starting early (7...
Let the Hootenanny Begin
The preparation has been laid to rest. It’s time to begin the Hootenanny! We finished laying all foundation and buttressing bags over the last week....
Foundation for 3 new domes is ready
The chalked lines I had readied in June were completely erased by the September hurricane. Luckily, the ability to edit my earlier markings yielded better...
Earth preparation with piping readied
When I was in Baja in late May, I met with Jose Martin to prepare the site for the November build. What we decided:
Teen Dome
This will be...
Hootenanny Two Takes Form
Welcome back to Earth building. It’s been 14 years since I last practiced this art form, and I’m GLAD TO BE BACK!
The plan is to start with a...
The Table Rises - Stronger Than Ever
Santiago and Arthur came to install the power and drill a hole for the lights that will bring ‘Baja Christmas’ to Las Domas each night we turn ‘em on....
The iconic table falls over
Upon arriving back to Las Domas after 9 long months, I was greeted by the table having fallen over. Yes, expecting an untreated piece of driftwood to...
Bienvenitos Casa De Las Domas
The last few days have been long and tough, but full of fun and adventure. As is typical in this community, the workers had done most of what had been...
Wrapping up the Hootenanny
That didn’t happen. I was ecstatic upon my arrival, as some of the finishing touches I’d forgotten about had been done beautifully: the table surrounding...
End of the Hootenanny
The last few days were 18 hour days - getting my ‘checklist’ of finishing items ready; choosing tile and paint colors; rounding up the final pieces needed...
The WIndscoop - and expensive air conditioner
When we altered our plans for the scoop back in early January (read the posting on January 17 ‘Windscoop Thoughts’ if you care to re-visit), I was gung-ho,...
Exterior Plaster Strategy
Here in Baja, we have less rain than nearly anywhere else on earth. We’re not going to do the final coat of plaster, because I want to percolate designs...
Solar Water Heater - it’s cool
The ideas was hatched by Christopher, who had built ‘brea box’ solar heaters in the 70s. And it’s very similar to a solar oven I had built in Peace...
Our Domes Are Complete
It is a major thrill. We do have some considerations we’re having about plaster and the windscoop, For those reading the details, here’s a summary of...
Bedroom Dome is Closed up
The tops of the domes proved to be a tougher project than projected. Closing them in and making a small cap of cement is no problem, as bags naturally...