Hyperadobe Roundhouse - The Foundation

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Updated July 25, 2024
Hyperadobe Roundhouse

After 3 years of building, preparing, learning, and experimenting on our off-grid homestead, it's finally time to begin work on our home.

This is by far the biggest project we've tackled yet! Behind the scenes we've been planning, designing and organizing everything, trying to get to a point where we can actually break ground and share the process with you. 

We'll use this space to share each step of the process.

Step 1 - Laying the Foundation

Join us as we share the months long pad preparation, and dream big about our next step on our off-grid homestead.

Step 2 - Hyperadobe Earthbag Roundhouse FLOOR PLANS!

We're talking house plans...and changing them. But we wanted to show you where we found inspiration for this design. Check out @willowend_round_house on Instagram to see their sweet home. We also visit Clay's incredible hyperadobe house and come away with more ideas to incorporate so we can finalize our layout.

Step 3 - Utility Planning in the Hyperadobe Roundhouse (This is STRESSING US OUT)

Designing a hyperadobe roundhouse from the ground up is so much work! Before we can break ground we have to finalize all our utilities: Rainwater, pressurized water, solar, electric, septic, propane, internet, and more.

Step 4 - We're Hitting PAUSE ⏸️

Ashley heads to Indiana to see her family, and we pause on the house planning. Jon & the kids work on a few small projects before she gets back.

A New BEGINNING and a Much Needed Reset

Jon leaves for the day to get the truck worked on, and Ashley takes the kids on an adventure to de-stress about the house build. This could be the start of something new.

We're FINALIZING our Hyperadobe Roundhouse Floor Plans!

Thanks to our new friends at Willow End Round House, we're making some important final changes to the floor plan of our hyperadobe round house. Promise we won't change anything else (jk/lol!)

Breaking Ground - Hyperadobe Earthbag Roundhouse BEGINS!

After months of researching, planning, and preparing, we finally complete the steps to break ground on our hyperadobe roundhouse!

Are We REALLY Trenching Our Huge Earthbag House by Hand?

As we begin digging our sewer trenches we make a big announcement - daily videos are back in October! But oh do we have so much to plan to get ready for it. Come along with us as we prepare.

We Had a Little HELP? Hyperadobe Roundhouse Trenches by Tractor

The backhoe makes quick work of our trenches, but we still have so much to do before daily videos start in October. We're getting closer!

Daily Videos BEGIN! Cleaning the Trenches on our Hyperadobe Roundhouse (Day 1)

It's the very first day of our October daily videos, and we're starting by cleaning the trenches on our hyperadobe roundhouse. We also might be visiting our favorite coffee shop and making some delicious mac & cheese for friends :)

Working & Learning TOGETHER as a Family (Day 2)

Welcome back to Day 2 of our hyperadobe roundhouse daily video challenge! We're fortifying the earthbag trench, doing water runs, making delicious food (https://tinyshinyhome.com/recipes) , and taking a moment to be thankful that we get to do it together each day.

WHAT COULD IT BE? More Trenching & Unboxing Something Delicious! (Day 3)

Welcome back to Day 3 of our hyperadobe roundhouse daily video challenge! We continue to do handwork on the main sewer trench line and get a special delivery from @FontanaForniUSA.

Maestro 40 Gas Oven →

This is NEW! Pizza Oven Modeling & Sewer Trenches (Day 4)

Welcome back to Day 4 of our hyperadobe roundhouse daily video challenge! We're all over the place today, doing a photoshoot for that awesome Fontana pizza oven that showed up yesterday, getting well casing pipes for our sewer lines, and digging more trenches. Oh, officially announcing our very first superadobe workshop!

Is It TOO LATE? (Day 5)

Welcome back to Day 5 of our Hyperadobe Roundhouse Daily Video Challenge! Today we're continuing to dig the sewer trench to the kitchen and start leveling the slope on the main run. We also finally have shirts available!

Serious SETBACKS & Loosing Multiple Days (Day 6)

Welcome back to Day 6 of our Hyperadobe Roundhouse Daily Video Challenge! Or maybe it's actually day 6, 7, & 8. Honestly friends, the last couple of days have been pretty rough. We're really tired of digging.

Pulling TOGETHER & Pushing Through the Trenching (Day 7)

Welcome back to Day 7 of our Hyperadobe Roundhouse Daily Video Challenge! After struggling the last several days feeling overwhelmed with trenching in our compacted foundation, we band together as a family and make huge progress. Bird Hooks →

We PROMISE We've Thought About It - Digging the Last Trenches by Hand (Day 8)

Welcome back to Day 8 of our Hyperadobe Roundhouse Daily Video Challenge! Today we get an added boost from our friend Dan, and finally finish digging our additional trenches. Whew!

We MISSED an Important Measurement! (Day 9)

Just when we thought the trenches were done, we measured the circles, and they need some cleanup work. Will Jon make it? Also, the Passion to Profit Bundle is coming soon.

MARKING MILESTONES as a Family (Day 10)

Today we check on the new buck, build a chicken ramp, celebrate our trench milestone, and then get back to it. Final leveling and prep for gravel in the rubble trench!

DETERMINED to Make it to the NEXT STEP! (Day 11)

Today we have one goal and one goal only. To start putting gravel in our trenches. Can we do it?

Don't Judge Us, We're Tired 😂 (Day 12)

Today we clean and organize our storage unit, move to a large one, and yes finally start adding gravel to our trenches!

RUBBLE TRENCH Progress + Lunar Eclipse Party (Day 13)

Today we continue to add gravel to our trenches, and check out the ring of fire lunar eclipse!

BIG MILESTONE - Plumbing our Hyperadobe Earthbag Roundhouse (Day 14)

Today we PLUMB! And check out some rad geodesic domes from our friend Kyle.

We WASTED A WHOLE DAY Doing This 🙈 (Day 15)

Today cut some well casing to cover smaller pipes, replace the battery in our solar pump house, and try to leak test our new plumbing.

UTILITY TUNNEL - Protecting Water & Electric Lines Under Earthbags (Day 16)

Today we take a side quest while waiting to see if there's any leaks in the plumbing. Before we lay bags we need to setup the utility entrance and support it with metal casing.

Ok We're A LOT Irritated 😡 (Day 17)

Today we have a few setbacks, but manage to finally start filling in the sewer trench.

DID YOU KNOW? Flashback Edition ⏳ + Geodesic Dome Update (Day 18)

Today we help Kyle move his massive 3 story dome, continue to fill in the biggest deepest sewer trenches, and ask each other a lot of questions.

She HAS TO DO THIS Before Family Comes :) (Day 19)

Today we cleanup in anticipation of Jon's parents arriving, and make more progress filling in the sewer lines.

Family Helps FINISH Hyperadobe Roundhouse DWV Trenches (Day 20)

Today is a big day! Jon's parents come visit, and we all rally to finish filling the sewer trenches.

The LAST STEP Before Laying Bags? (Day 21)

Today we fill in the last of the gravel over our sewer lines and show my parents our property.

REBUILDING Our Hyperadobe Earthbag Dolly Bucket System (Day 24)

Today we spend our last day with Jon's parents and build a new dolly bucket in preparation for laying our first hyperadobe eathbags.

THE MESSIEST Pallet of Portland Cement We've Ever Seen 😱 (Day 25)

Today we get our gnarly pallet of portland cement unloaded, and rearrange the staging area to start laying our first hyperadobe earthbags on the roundhouse.

HYPERADOBE EARTHBAGS BEGIN on the Roundhouse! (Day 26)

At long last, we lay our first bags on the hyperadobe roundhouse!

Daily Video Challenge ENDS + Laying More Bags (Day 27)

Today we continue to lay our first earthbags and look back at what we did in October.

CAN'T BELIEVE We Did This! Hyperadobe Roundhouse Foundation

It's time to catch you up on our progress on the hypderadobe roundhouse. The first full foundation course is laid!

Holidays & Hyperadobe on the Tiny Shiny Homestead

Today we make great progress on our 2nd course of the hyperadobe roundhouse and celebrate Christmas.

Hyperadobe Roundhouse FOUNDATION: Perfecting the Dolly Bucket System

It's time to tweak our dolly bucket system a bit more and finish laying the 2nd course on the hyperadobe roundhouse. 

Problem SOLVED! How We Installed Ramps Over Our Hyperadobe Walls

With the hyperadobe earthbags coming out of the ground, we can't continue to build our roundhouse until we create some ramps to get over the walls and install them. Let's solve a problem together!

Our Family DREAM HOME Just Hit A Major Milestone!

Come celebrate with us as we finish course 3 of the hyperadobe roundhouse and finally get those walls above ground! This is a huge milestone in our family house build 💪

How to Hyperadobe with Gridlessness!

We're back at the roundhouse! Today we catch you up on marking walls, starting buttresses, and teaching our friends @Gridlessness how to lay hyperadobe earthbag walls.

Our First Buttresses, BIG STEP in Our Roundhouse Build?

The hyperadobe roundhouse build continues! Today we spend time prepping trenches and laying our first buttresses. This is an important step in getting the entire house to floor level and ready for door frames.

We’ve Been DREAMING of this Milestone!

FINALLY. The Hyperadobe Roundhouse reaches floor level. That's 4 full courses of earthbags in our rubble trench. The foundation is laid. Now the real fun begins.

Want to know what happens next? Check out Phase 2 of the project: building the earthbag walls.

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Jonathan Longnecker

About the Author

Jonathan Longnecker is the strongly opinionated tattooed and bearded half of Tiny Shiny Home. He loves making music, figuring out nerdy solutions, exploring the outdoors, and living off-grid.

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Posted July 28, 2023


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