Customer Resources

For Homeowners

We provide specialized architectural design and engineering services to homeowners and contractors. Our team has extensive background designing and constructing earthen masonry buildings, and will provide benefit to your project through value engineering. We have a team of specialists dedicated to Energy Performance, Thermal Comfort, Mechanical Heating and Cooling, and Passive Solar.

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Design Questionnaire

A great way to start the design process with our team is to download and fill out our Questionnaire that helps provide insight on your design preferences and needs. Once completed feel free to reach out to our design team to set up a consultation.

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Our Brochure is a review of earthen masonry construction and how we support the building industry and built environment.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Cost of construction varies from zip code to zip code with many factors contributing to the overall cost of a home. Similar to the ranging cost of a new car, the components of the individual systems account for the cost of the whole. As a rule of thumb, masonry walls account for about 15-25% of the cost of a home, whereas a wood frame home is roughly 10-15% the cost of the home. We recommend talking with a local general contractor in the area you’d like to build, and ask what typical construction costs are per square foot of living area as the best starting point.

We advocate for lime plaster on the exterior for the majority of climates and projects. The lime plaster is a 3-coat system (scratch, brown, finish) that results in a 7/8″ finish, with the final coat containing your choice of pigment. For the interior, the EcoBlox can be left raw (with a clear sealer), a clay or lime based paint or plaster, depending on your preferences.

There are important factors that go into building a high performance EcoBlox wall. Protecting the building from the elements and forces is critical for all buildings, and we achieve this by incorporating proper drainage details, appropriate material selection for mortars and plasters, and structural engineering design. Our walls are engineered by a structural engineer and designed for the location. We work with commercial masons and building science designers to mitigate any water intrusion, value engineer structural details, and ensure the selected materials have high thermal and mechanical performance. Lime plaster as an exterior coating is known to become more durable with time, leaving you with a wall you’ll never have to paint or worry about mold.

For electrical, we place boxes at the planned locations in the wall. The masons cut blocks to suit the placement of the electrical boxes. Then the electrician runs the conduit through the cavity in the wall. All plumbing is placed in a furred out wall outside of the EcoBlox or in a framed interior wall for ease of access.

This is probably the most common question. The answer is no. A well-designed mix resists degradation and will remain durable for centuries. At any point in time, the building can be plastered with appropriate materials to further enhance durability. The use of a small percentage of stabilizer, such as Portland cement or lime, can be added to increase the resistance to moisture in wet climates. Typically a roof overhang of just 1 foot is sufficient to protect the walls from rain. We have many homes in New Zealand’s wet climate, where it rains 5 out of 7 days 8 months of the year.

No. Well built earthen walls are strong and durable with a smooth and clean finish. Clay based plasters give a brilliant finish that are dust-free, sponge-wipe cleanable, and rainwater shedding.

An earth block and adobe building is not only healthy for the individual, but also for the planet. Soil, earth block’s primary ingredient, is a renewable, non-toxic natural resource. Earth block and adobe walls are breathable, soundproof, bug-proof, fireproof, and even bulletproof! Requiring less transportation of materials than conventional construction methods, earth blocks and adobe rely on local materials and low-energy requirements for production. Energy savings are immediate with thermal mass equating to lowered heating and cooling requirements. Earth block and adobe buildings can last for centuries. Ancient earthen structures stand today in many parts of the world. The average expected life span of a wood frame building is about 70 years.

A breathable wall is able to absorb and release water vapor. Water vapor molecules are no larger than air. Like human skin, the water vapor passes in and out, but does not transmit water molecules. This transpiration of vapor helps to regulate and modify heat and humidity. This benefit reduces the need for mechanical systems to maintain human comfort levels. Clay maintains an equilibrium moisture content. If there is too much humidity in the air, the walls will absorb water vapor. Conversely, if the air is too dry, the walls will release moisture. Human health is optimized at humidity levels between 40% and 70%. Low humidity levels will dry out the trachea, contributing to respiratory issues. High humidity levels promote mold growth, again not beneficial to human health.

Cement stucco and other synthetic materials, such as closed cell insulation and paint, applied to earth block and adobe walls will hinder their breathability. Lime or clay plasters maintain an earth block and adobe wall’s breathability.

Thermal mass is the ability of a material to absorb and store thermal energy. This creates thermal inertia that requires a much larger input of energy over time to change its temperature. This is sometimes referred to as a “thermal flywheel”. Therefore, if a wall is cool from a relatively chilly summer night, it tends to stay cool well into the day. Conversely, If a wall is warmed by the afternoon’s winter sun, then it stays warm well into a cold winter night. Walls that have low thermal mass, such as conventionally framed walls, do not have these properties and are easily effected by a change in temperature. Earth blocks and adobes, on the other hand, will “flatten out” or buffer large temperature swings with their thermal mass capabilities and significantly decrease the need for additional heating in winter or cooling in summer.

We realize there are many more questions and answers that are listed here.

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