Description
Earthlodge architecture comes from the northern Great Plains where Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Indians built large, earth-sheltered structures for communal housing and shelter from bitterly cold subzero winters and the relentless wind of the Plains. The initial framework for an earthlodge looks something like Stonehenge, or rather "Woodhenge," with an inner and outer circle of support poles topped by cross beams connecting everything together. This wooden skeleton was covered with a solid layer of small diameter poles to close it in. A layer of brush and straw on top of the earthlodge helped spread the weight of the eventual earth load. This video includes a short history of the earthlodge before launching into the construction of a modernized earthlodge with a concrete shell to make a permanent classroom facility. Read more about the project online at:
https://dirtcheapbuilder.com/Articles/Earthlodge_Construction.htm
#earthlodge #architecture #greenuniversity