Although the US Konbit team has returned home, the hard work on site continued over the past two weeks. While we were heartbroken to leave before seeing the completion of Adelia’s house, we also felt great pride in having cultivated such a strong team of earthbag builders, lime plasterers and roofing experts that were able to complete the final phase of construction on their own.
The metal roof panels were each cut to size and secured in place, completing the roof of the house and the extended wrap-around porch, protecting against extreme weather, both rain and sun. Gravel and cement was poured and leveled, forming the floor of the house. The final layer of lime plaster was applied as the finishing touch to the earthen walls. Over the next week, water will be added throughout each day to the walls to ensure the lime cures slowly, but besides this relatively small task, we are proud to announce that:
ADELIA’S HOUSE IS COMPLETE!!!!!!!
It was an incredible month, full of hard work from morning until night, jam-packed learning new skills and saturated with memories, building new friendships, and deepening old ones. We witnessed our team of earthbag builders grow towards becoming experts, strengthening their skills each day. We are filled with hope and inspiration. Cormier is becoming a beacon for small-scale ecological practices, working with the earth and with each other, growing fruit and building strong, safe, sustainable structures.
We will continue to post pictures of the finished structure as we receive them from our friends and Konbit team in Haiti. Until then, this is simply a message of great success and endless thanks to all of you who make this project possible. Whether you are our friends who simply believe in the possibility of a small group of people making big ideas come to life, or you were one of the angels who donated to our Kickstarter fundraiser, or you lent a helping hand or your voice to spread the word of the project — we hope you know that your fingerprints are built into these walls too!
This is not just a beautiful, earthquake-safe house — It is also the site where we built relationships, shared ideas and knowledge, and forged connections that will last throughout our lives. Working together, hands in the dirt, nurtured the sprouting connection between our communities that will grow into future projects. With this house, we made a hands-on learning experience for our team to continue to master the skill of building with earth. Adelia is so thankful for her new home — and we are endlessly grateful for all of you who make this entire project possible.

The work continues! Finishing the roof, making the doors, painting the details…

the house = kayla

sacred geometry of roofs

Wesner raising the roof

Shamil and Robinson — MVPs!

Guypson and Lara