Pangea Proxima had the extreme pleasure to work with Casa de Tierra on its natural builds for a month during January and February. Pangea Proxima first connected with Casa de Tierra at a natural plasters and paints workshop conducted by Bill and Athena Steen of the Canelo Project in Canelo, Arizona, last year (Spring 2011).
Casa de Tierra is based in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and is headed by Austin and Michelle Drill, whom employ twelve native workers, all competent in natural building methods. Casa de Tierra preserves traditional design concerns of aesthetic, utility, durability and comfort, while employing a wide range of materials and methodologies that emphasize sustainability.
Their preferred outer wall systems are composed of earthbags. Inner walls systems use a combination of adobe blocks, chorizo, cob, compressed earth blocks, lath & plaster and wattle & daub. Casa de Tierra is also an advocate of earthen floors, bamboo, natural plasters and paints, composting toilets, grey water systems, rubble trench and floating foundations and sustainable landscape design.
Trevor Stine (Pangea Proxima’s lead consultant) and Andruw Russell (carpenter and sustainable agriculturalist) assisted and learned about various natural building techniques at four of the current Casa de Tierra project sites. Below are links to the specific descriptions of the projects, Pangea Proxima’s contribution and photos/movies.
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| Las Brisas School after old plasters are removed |
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| Casa de Tierra builders standing in front of natural wall after stripping old plaster (left to right): Alejandro, Felix, Kevin, Cesar, and Ivan | | | | | |
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| Inside classroom after new natural plasters are applied |
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| Panoramic photo of the primary school at Cebadilla (composting toilet structure seen in the middle) |
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| Kevin preparing the natural plaster |
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| Trevor in front of a finished outer wall |
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| Finished inner walls of the bathroom |
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| Cebadilla natural plasters crew (left to right): Trevor, Cesar, Kevin and Andruw |
Casita de Melanie – Earthen porch floors, chorizo inner-wall system and natural plaster finish
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| Ample overhangs creates more outdoor living space and protects plaster from heavy rains |
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| Partial bamboo roof structure |
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| Modesto preparing the porch for stone |
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| Andruw leveling the stone porch |
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| Starting the chorizo inner-wall to separate the kitchen and bathroom |
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| Don Cesar working on the inner roof areas |
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| Austin working on the finish plaster |
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Father & Son (Modesto on right & Marvin on left) cleaning up the window areas
Casita at Playa Yankee – Natural Plasters, thatched roof system |
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| Panoramic view of the Yankee construction site in the middle of the jungle |
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| Starting to plaster the earthbag walls |
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| Andruw and Austin preparing the natural plaster (sand/clay) |
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| Jordan working on the palm thatched roof structure |
Trevor had previous experience working with straw bale construction and natural plasters, but Casa de Tierra’s inner and outer wall systems were new methods for him. He learned many new natural building techniques that will be utilized in Pangea Proxima’s future construction projects. Working in rural areas of Nicaragua (most of the sites were located in jungles and forests) with locals who always make things work when they don’t have a specific tool for a specific task is always an enlightening experience. It was truly a great learning and inspiring experience for Pangea Proxima to share time and work with Casa de Tierra and its staff on their eco-friendly projects.
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