(above: Daiva and her mom, Sylvia) Daiva came to Quail Springs in 2017 for a natural building internship, where she learned how to combine straw, sand, and clay to create earthen homes that are beautiful, affordable, and made of locally-sourced materials. Since then Daiva has built earthen homes in Mexico, Bolivia and California, and has taught earthen building in Oaxaca.Q: …

Written by Juna Muller I live in a mud house. Technically, it’s a mixture of clay, sand, and straw (also known as cob). And although it’s mud, I can say that it’s the most beautiful house I’ve ever lived in!  People around the world have been building with clay, sand, straw and other natural materials for at least the past …

We believe in climate-resilient and dignified housing for all. This year, Quail Springs is playing a key role in the movement to make earthen building legal and accessible to everyone. We’ve already taken the first steps to establish our site as a fully permitted world-class demonstration center, featuring legal, fire-safe, low-carbon-footprint earthen buildings. Now is a critical time to help …

We are excited to announce a groundbreaking collaboration with Cal Poly SLO to do earthquake testing on cob walls! Many things have fallen into place to make the project happen, including a woman who is doing her thesis on this project, and Cal Poly’s generous offer to support this public benefit project with deeply discounted access to earthquake testing equipment …