Nader Khalili Dies at 72


Nader Khalili


Superadobe Structure

Iranian-born architect and author, Nader Khalili, passed away at the age of 72 on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008. Khalili was known for his invention of an Earthbag Construction technique called Super Adobe, which use sand bags, mud and barbed wire to build emergency shelters in areas affected by natural and man-made disasters. His books, Ceramic Houses and Earth Architecture: How to Build Your Own and Racing Alone document his life of searching for a method to fire mud houses and turn them to stone by firing and glazing an entire building after it is constructed from clay-earth on site. He is the founder of The California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture, whose scope spans technical innovations published by NASA for lunar base construction, to design and development of housing for the world’s homeless for the United Nations.

0 Replies to “Nader Khalili Dies at 72”

  1. I worked with Mr. Khalili and his friends in the early 90’s at his Hesperia-based institute. His ideas inspired me to think in new ways about housing and the ways we produce it. Even earlier, I had heard about Nader on NPR and he became a personal hero (along with Buckminster Fuller and Frank Lloyd Wright) which led me into the field of city planning. After 24 years in local government, I know that Nader’s work lives in me, if only a little bit. I will always be grateful for the time I spent with him.
    – Craig A. Ewing, AICP
    – Director of Planning Services
    – City of Palm Springs

  2. On Saturday March 29th, from 11:00 am throughout the afternoon, Nader Khalili’s surviving family and students invite all who were his friends and supporters to remember and celebrate his life, words and works, at his Cal-Earth Institute, in Hesperia, Cali

Leave a Reply