Aircrete 200-Square-foot Dome & Loft Construction

This page is about building details for aircrete construction domes and lofts. It is meant to be the most complete, comprehensive, and easy-to-follow guide available. One Community will be using the Aircrete and Earthbag Crowdfunding Campaign to make it even better.

This guide is still under construction. When complete it will consist of the following sections:

• Related Pages and Getting Involved
• What is This
• Why Open Source This
• Tools and Materials (coming)
• Municipal/County Involvement (coming)
• 200 Square Foot Aircrete-dome Construction Details
• Loft Construction Specifics
• Resources
• FAQ

NOTE: THIS PAGE IS NOT CONSIDERED BY US TO BE A COMPLETE AND USABLE TUTORIAL UNTIL
WE FINISH THE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN AND ADD ALL THE VIDEOS AND EXPERIENCE FROM
THAT BUILD TO THIS PAGE – IN THE MEANTIME, WE WELCOME YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK

HERE ARE LINKS TO WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION (click icons for complete pages)

VISIT THESE DETAILED PAGES FOR MORE ON THE COMPLETE VILLAGE PLANS (click icons)

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO EVOLVING THIS SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENT WITH US

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WHAT IS THIS

This page will teach the specifics for constructing a 200-square-foot aircrete dome home with a loft. This is the same size planned for the complete open source sustainable Earthbag Construction Village. During the crowdfunding campaign we will be comparing this method to earthbag construction to determine if it is preferable. If it is, we’ll build the village this way instead.

If you’d like to see the level of detail we will be including on this page when it is completed, take a look at these pages:

		Weekly progress updates
		Excavation & Construction of Footers, Foundation, and Flooring
		Electrical: Dome Home, Guest/Studio Dome, and Bathroom/Kitchen Dome

Go here for an overview of the complete crowdfunding program and plan:

CLICK HERE FOR THE CROWDFUNDING OVERVIEW PAGE

WHY OPEN SOURCE AIRCRETE CONSTRUCTION

Aircrete construction is economical, durable, artistic, do-it-yourself doable, and significantly more earth friendly than traditional construction. By creating detailed and comprehensive tutorials, we hope to help people better understand the specifics of what is involved in this building method while providing:

• An open source resource for aircrete builders around the world
• Detailed cost, labor, and performance comparisons with an identical earthbag dome
• Complete and permitted plans for a dome that could be used as a guest house, studio, play room, etc.; small enough to be built (if needed) in many counties without a permit

Our goal in doing this is to raise public awareness and stimulate the entire DIY construction industry. By providing what is needed to build these domes with or without a permit, sharing the labor, cost, and construction specifics, and demonstrating how beautiful and functional they are, we will make it much easier for people to decide to want to build this way both here and in other countries. In so doing, we will help people do this on their own and provide a huge increase in business and interest for training and help from individuals and organizations that would like to focus on providing a building service for those needing and wanting additional help. 

AIRCRETE CONSTRUCTION
200 SQ FT DOME DETAILS

The following videos are planned for inclusion in the open sourcing process of this component:

Video coming: Compass construction and installation:

VIDEO COMING OF: CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF THE COMPASS

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER

Video coming: Making your own aircrete:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO MAKE AIRCRETE

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER

Here’s a great DIY foam maker:

Here’s how to mix aircrete using a foam maker and mixer you can buy from Domegaia:

Video coming: Creating forms and moulds and pouring your own aircrete:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO MAKE AND USE FORMS

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER

Video coming: Wall constructions using aircrete blocks:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO BUILD WALLS USING AIRCRETE BLOCKS

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Video coming: Rebar reinforcement:

VIDEO COMING OF: USING REBAR FOR REINFORCEMENT

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Video coming: Closing your dome top considerations:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO SEAL THE TOP OF YOUR AIRCRETE DOME

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LOFT CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICS

LOFT CONSTRUCTION—The loft is sized to the diameter of the structure at whatever height is desired; the ends of each joist will extend about ⅔-¾ of the way across the earthbags and additional rows above that will overlap bags as below the loft. A removable hatch is built-in to allow summer heat to escape and keep winter heat in the lower level.

Here are the instructional videos planned for this section thus far:

Video coming: Layout of 2 X 8’s (for loft framing [16” O.C.] and hatch on aircrete at the desired height of the loft:

VIDEO COMING OF: INITIAL LOFT FRAMING SETUP

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER 

Video coming: Using wood scraps to level your 2 x 8’s:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO LEVEL YOUR LOFT

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Video coming: Offset blocking and hatch construction (to tie in rafters, forming a single unit):

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO ADD OFFSET BLOCKS AND CONSTRUCT YOUR HATCH

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Video coming: Underside plywood attachment. Note:if plywood is attached on the ground, then the entire unit will be raised into place at that time:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO ATTACH YOUR UNDERSIDE PLYWOOD

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER

Video coming: Optional electrical installation for light or fan:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO INSTALL ELECTRICAL FOR A LIGHT OR FAN

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Video coming: Loft rafter insulation (aircrete or [cellulose 3.5 x 7.5” = R-26]):

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO INSULATE YOUR LOFT

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Video coming: Aircrete block placement between joists:

VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO PLACE AIRCRETE BLOCKS WHEN WORKING BETWEEN JOISTS

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Video coming: Upper-side plywood attachment:

VIDEO COMING OF: ATTACHING YOUR UPPER-SIDE LOFT PLYWOOD

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER 

Video coming: Aircrete block placement over joists:

VIDEO COMING OF: PLACING EARTHBAGS OVER JOISTS

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER

 MORE COMING

Click this image to learn how One Community is doing this as a path to global transformation.

CLICK THESE ICONS TO JOIN US THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

HERE ARE LINKS TO WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION (click icons for complete pages)

VISIT THESE DETAILED PAGES FOR MORE ON THE COMPLETE VILLAGE PLANS (click icons)

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO EVOLVING THIS SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENT WITH US

SUGGESTIONS     ●     CONSULTING     ●     MEMBERSHIP     ●     OTHER OPTIONS