Om Sweet Dome

This dome was built by Angel and his family in Tepoztland, Mexico with the assistance of Guiding Star Creations. It is the perfect size for a music studio, healing dome, or guest dome. The dome has a 13 ft (4m) interior diameter and features a loft space, custom glass door, windows, and skylight designed by Angel. The floor is a stained concrete slab and the material in side the bags is a mixture of earth, volcanic rock (tosontle), and 10% cement. The exterior is finished with a water proof paint and the interior is an earth paint finish. Angel teaches workshops in Mexico and he will be teaching in India the beginning of next year. Guiding Star Creations is look at the possibility of collaborating with Angel in India around April 2011. For more information in Spanish check out his blog at blog at http://superadobemexico.blogspot.com.

Earthen Floor Training

Guiding Star Creations attended an earthen floor training put on by Sukita with Claylin Floors. The ease and beauty of working with non-toxic materials created many smiles during the workshop. Earthen floors are such a flexible material that can be applied on grade for new buildings, on a cement slab, or on a sub-floor. Being able to install radiant heating coils and utilize passive solar heating make earthen floors an great choice for non-toxic and energy efficient living. Earthen floors are up to 90% less energy intensive than standard concrete floors. There are also many health benefits of having an earthen floor and being in direct contact with the earth through your feet. Many thanks to Sukita, the other workshop participants, and the workshop hosts. For more information on Claylin, earthen floor training, or to contact Sukita visit www.sukita.com

Why You Need to See This Film!

2012 Time for Change is an amazing film that provides practical solutions to world problems combining permaculture, shamanism, and design solutions that lead to a shift in collective consciousness. Also Neil is in this film for a brief moment shown teaching earthbag building at Cal-Earth. For more clips, DVDs, or to see or schedule a screening visit http://www.2012timeforchange.com/

Construction of Earthbag Shed in Belize

Take a look at this is the project of Jesse Loving in Bullet Tree Falls, Belize we found on the Earthbag Building website at http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/earthbag-shed-in-belize/. A great small DIY structure build by three people and some local experts for the thatched roof.

Make sure you click on the picture for a slide show.

The first U.S. home to meet the Living Building Challenge

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The challenge asks the question: "What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place? " Can this house become the first U.S. home to meet the Living Building Challenge? The existing house was taken down and all parts reused or sold by the two brothers Garrett and Dustin Moon. This is when they discovered that their building design might qualify for the Living Building Challenge. This new house will generate it's own power, be passively heated and cooled, and captures and reuses its water. The building must prove its design during 12 continuous months. The house features passive solar design, living roof gardens, solar panels, composting toilets, non-toxic construction, rain catchment, and gray water sand filtration. Excess energy produced will be sold back to the local power company. Stella and I are so excited to see a design that connects to and is a part of the ecosystem in an urban environment. This alone is is a great achievement. Way to go Garret and Dustin! To read more about their "the commons" house click on their website at http://pdxlivingbuilding.com/

How-To: Dome Building Video

View our new slide show with great captions detailing how we built a 10ft(3m) dome in New Zealand

Sustainable Sanctuary

Recently Stella and I had the opportunity to stay at the Warbler Home, a sustainable sanctuary that is for sale outside of Prescott, Arizona. This was perfect for us as we are constantly exploring the concept of home and creating a film that explores the relationship between people and home.

As we were unpacking the car the first night at the Warbler house we were interrupted by the sun setting over the mountains and sat on the west deck to watch the event. The house and landscape has the ability to pull you into the rhythms of the land. That first night I enjoyed waiting for the evening temperatures to drop so we could open the windows and allow the home to take in the cool night air. I went outside that night to watch the stars and listen to the coyotes. While outside kicked off my shoes and found that the front patio was still warm from the day's sun and was a great place to lay on my back to see the stars.

This house is a beautiful example of a bridge between sustainable building and modern design. Not everyone wants to live in a mud or straw house and as a natural builder and teacher I am always interested in what creates a sense the of magic in a structure. I point out to students that they can build or convert a conventional looking house into a sustainable home and create a sense of magic by connecting the building to the energy flows of it's environment.

The thing that stood out to me the most besides the comfortable temperature proved by the house’s passive solar design and balance between thermal mass and insulation was the warm earthy feel that was provided by the colors in the floors and walls. The mixture of greens, warm yellows, and reds made me feel like I was in an earth home.

I find that when I am in a conventional house, and the surrounding land is not honored, I feel isolated from the landscape. Relating to our surroundings is so import because as we connect to our environment we are reminded of our own nature. When we are constantly reminded by the evening stars, the coyote’s howls, sun sets, and wild flowers it helps to call us back, to recenter ourselves and feel what it means to be home.

Home Features:
radiant floor heating
passive solar design
solar hot water panels
solar electricity
gray water filtration
wet lands alternative septic (purified with irises)
rain catchment
vastu energy flow organic garden
foam panel walls
concrete walls and slab (made with gravel sourced on-site)

Click on the image above or this link to see more pictures

For more details check out:
www.prescottgreenhome.com
warblerhome@therighthomeforme.net

13 Grandmothers- Sprit Rising at Golden Gate Park

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Guiding Star Creations attended a fundraiser for the International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers to send them to Japan. There were stations at the four directions honoring the Grandmothers from the four corners of the planet. In the center was an amazing mandala to give form to the energy held at this event. There was dancing, a variety of musical artist, prayer, and a water blessing ceremony. Click on the picture above to see a slide show the event.

Earthbag Dome Workshop in Tepoztlan, Mexico

Check out our latest workshop!
GSC created the music as well as the movie!

New Slide Shows to View

Click on the pictures above to see slide shows of the Village Building Convergence, Harmony Festival, or our Raw Food Creations.

Village Building Convergence

Checking out local open spaces created during this 10 day convergence in Portland OR.

5 Day Earth Dome Workshop in Mexico

Neil and Stella have just returned from Mexico!

The focus of this workshop was building in a way that connected the structure and the people to the energy flows of the universe. Stella reminded participants to use all of their six senses to touch, listen, taste, smell, see, and intuit their surroundings.

Extra care was taken to build this dome as a living structure with breathable walls and natural waterproofing and plasters. The building will serve as a meditation dome and was built with a mix of raw earth and scoria rock. Lime was used as a stabilizer in the foundation and stem walls. The exterior plaster is cob made from horse manure and clay and will be finished with a thin lime plaster.

Neil and Stella taught 18 participants who built a 2.5 meter (8ft) dome during the 5 day course.
Participants ranged from 21-60+ years young and covered multiple states in Mexico. Participant's backgrounds were architecture students, engineers, artists, permaculture educators, indigenous organizers, teachers, construction workers, a Hait relief organizer, and people interested in esoterics and sacred geometry.

We want to thank all those who attended and especially recognize Angel who hosted and organized the workshop for all his efforts. Thank you also to Ge for translating and Angel's Aunt for the amazing meals.

Neil and Stella

GSC visits Earth Ships in Taos, NM

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Stella and Neil visited Earthship's world headquarters in Taos NM. They interviewed Shawn and Erica who are building their own home in the area out of shipping containers, converting them into an earthship hybrid. Neil and Stella also toured earthship buildings to research how to integrate earth-bag construction with the holistic approach of earthship design.

Check the latest earth building photos from our travels in New Mexico on this slide show.

An Overview of 2008-2009 and Visions for the Future

Over the past year and a half through traveling, building, and teaching in the USA and eight foreign countries, Stella and Neil have sought to integrate inner transformation and physical manifestation through the empowerment of others. They have done extensive research into building domes in wet climates and designing super-adobe/earth-bag presentations and workshops in foreign countries. During their travels Neil and Stella continued their education by attending workshops and conferences on earth building, permaculture, inner transformation, and by touring and documenting sustainable communities and buildings throughout Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, South East Asia, Egypt, and Turkey.

Creative Projects:
Neil and Stella are currently creating their own business called Guiding Star Creations and are planning a workshop in Mexico and to return to Australia in 2010.

During the past year and a half Stella used her skills as a photographer to document their journey for the purpose of producing educational materials and creative projects. Another creative project underway is a film called “Home”.

To see a complete report of our journey please visit the link Guiding Star Creations World Travels 2008-2009