Abstract: A structural member comprises a soil-retaining sheet having two antipodal edges, means for joining the two antipodal edges when proximately positioned to maintain the sheet in a tubular configuration, and a column of soil retained within the tubular configuration of the sheet. One or more of the structural members when positioned substantially upright can be used to form a pillar. A plurality of horizontally-adjacent pillars can be used to form a wall which together with other walls can be used to form a building particularly adapted to desert location.