Permaculture and Earth Architecture at Terrasante

Terrasante means healthy/ sacred earth. Sloping gently from the 6000 ft. Sierrita mountains toward Brawley wash at 2400 ft., the valley here was once a vast grassland. In the 1800’s it was badly overgrazed by ranching. Now, mesquite, grasses, and an assortment of cacti grow here. Here we are experimenting with permaculture. Earth scooped from open places creates crescent shaped holes (swales) where water collects. Impounding the water from rainfall increases local soil moisture to the benefit of native plants, and facilitates dry farming. The swales also mitigate sheet flooding, adding to gradual percolation. Over time, the swales become fertile shady bosques full of plants like mesquite which produce abundant yummy high fiber bean pods. One surprise this summer was the appearrance of numerous amphibians in the new swales. Truly, it is a process of de-desertification.

The harvested earth makes a perfect adobe. This earth, placed moist into a sandbag (or tube of the same material), stacked and packed, becomes a “brick” when dry. The walls are plastered to create curved walls, arches, vaults and domes. The resulting curvy architecture has a organic quality that is softly pleasing to the eye, and is also inherently sturdy. Earth as a building material has advantages in the desert. Most of the animals that live here live in the earth for good reason. With passive solar design, and walls 14-16” thick, thermal mass keeps the structure warm in winter and cool in summer. Using a local material to create buildings minimizes the need for imported materials such as lumber and fiberglass, and energy/ carbon dioxide intensive products like cement for concrete or block.

We propose this alternative to the intensive subdivision/ wood frame stucco boxes and mobile homes with which folly threatens to cover the land. We believe that environmentally friendly “green” architecture is both beautiful and a better solution to balance the human impact in the long term for the Sonoran desert.

Bruce Scher

Terrasante Community has opportunities for people interested in experiments with earthbag building, permaculture, solar power, electric vehicles, natural healing, etc. Contact us at 888-257-5111, or email: contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Terrasante, 7678 So. Avra Rd. Tucson, AZ 85735.