Hey Aaron,

Here are a few links concerning the cob dwellings that we spoke about this evening. I am exquisitely intrigued by this type of living environment, so if anyone on this forum has any experience or further knowledge about them, I will be so grateful if you would share your information.

What's Up on Planet Earth? - Cob Building with Karen Bishop

cobworks.com : Your guide to building cob and earthhouses Check out the photos on this site! They are very cool!

With Love and Gratitude,

Pamela

Pamela,

Thanks for starting this thread. Cob is a great, low-cost building method. The best site I know of for this type of building method is:

Green Home Building: Natural Building Techniques: Cob

Their main site, which includes information of DOZENS of alternative building methods is:

Green Home Building: Index

Enjoy,

Peter

Hi Pamela,

Welcome to the Renewable Energy forum! Thanks for starting the Cob House thread. Awesome concept, practical and it is something that can be done NOW! No waiting for exotic technologies to make this one possible

Thanks So Much, Peter!

I really appreciate the links you have provided and I will be spending some time perusing them. I am so attracted to these structures and am anxious to learn as much about them as possible. Aside from the fact that they are environmentally friendly, sound and economical, as an artist, I resonate with the flowing forms which blend so beautifully with the environment. I can fully imagine the sensual delight of creating a structure like this!

And Aaron...Thank you so much for the welcome to this forum. You know that I have felt quite a bit out of my league with the technical information found here and have therefore hesitated in stepping in with comments for fear of embarassing myself! But please know that I deeply appreciate all those who contribute to the important topics that are covered here! So... as I silently read (and attempt to understand ), all that unfolds here on this forum, I am always sending to each and every one of you, my Very Grateful Blessings.

With Much Love and Gratitude,

Pamela

Hello Pamela ...... I too took a great interest in 'natural housing ideas' a few months ago. My intention is to be totally self suffient and off the grid using wind and solar PV for electricity, and wood fired masonry heater to heat the house. Solar heat to produce hot water via thermal tubes mounted on the roof.
The housing method I decided on is the Straw Bale construction. I liked the thick walls and the not so perfect finish of the whole structure. The use of low impact materials through out also influenced my decision. The links below are pretty much just on Straw Bale houses although I remember reading about cob and rammed earth houses. L+L ... Chet

Huff 'n' Puff Strawbale Constructions
THE CANELO PROJECT
straw bale house plan | straw bale house design | straw bale house | strawbale
Strawbale Construction
Strw Bale Maine
Surfin' StrawBale
Natural Building Resources: Home Page
Straw Bale Home page
T h e L a s t S t r a w - ( w w w . t h e l a s t s t r a w . o r g )
The Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition
www.landerland.com/welcome.html
Welcome to Skillful Means--Sustainable Design and Building. Designers and Builders of Straw bale, Rammed Earth.
Straw bale | strawbale | straw bale houses | straw bale construction | straw bale homes

This next link is for Masonry heaters ..... Temp-Cast masonry heaters, masonry stoves and masonry heaters with bake ovens
and the last link is for solar water heating ... Thermomax Industries USA West, Canada, solar thermal energy, home solar power, commercial solar power

Chet,

That's so awesome. Is this in the near future? I'm doing some green things, but not to that level

Jessica

The cob house are very nice. While living in Santa Fe New Mexico back in the mid 90's, the straw bale house were getting really big in the area. We toured a couple of them and they were nice. I know that not all area will allow you to build them, in Santa Fe and the general area it was acceptable, but inCalifronia, NO Way!!
Aloha
Keoi

i wonder what the local or state statutes would be in regards to this? i live on the edge of Chicago, and they are very strict with how they want the houses to look. (for some reason they like the cookie cutter look)

Hello Jessica .............. We intend to purchase the land (400+ acres) early in 2008 and start building by summer. There is so many plans to develop such as the organic grow operation, the heavy horse equipment + barns, solar locations, windmill locations, possible Geothermal locations etc. I'm also considering producing our own Biodeisel for our trucks and equipment. The overall idea is to be totally self sufficient for both power and food. A bed and breakfast and training/teaching is also in the plan. L+L .... Chet

Chet,

I so exited about your plan! I'm sure you are too

Please do keep us posted (ar ar) as things progress. It would be great to know about any problems along the way and of course about the successes




Bryan,

I'm surprised to hear that because Chicago is the city of the green rooftops. Now those can't be cookie cutter, can they? I supposed you don't see much of the roofs though.



Jessica

I was drawn to the word COB, as we've been using it everywhere to fix up an old house we bought... its just great easy material to work with and the whole family can use it.

We made facades inside and outside house, embeded mirrors indo the walls, with animals and faces and little shelfs and alcoves for decorating. Its really easy to work with and so relaxing

Just wanted to say that you don't have to build a whole house, but its great for just fixing up on the cheap and it looks great, no straight edges...

Best of luck to everyone else who's going to try it

Neil

WOW Chet!

Thank you SO MUCH for providing these links to the Straw Bale construction! I have been perusing them for a few days now and am enchanted by them as much as the Cob structures! The project that you are undertaking sounds amazing and I would love it if you would keep us posted as to its unfolding!

And Neil...You have me very intrigued...I taught ceramics for many years and I so much miss experiencing the sensual aspect of this work...I imagine that the act of creating what you have done is a similar experience and I am very interested in attempting something relatively small like this. It seems, from what you have described and what I have looked to, that one can sculpt this material and also carve out images and the thought of that gets me excited. Any chance you have any pics of what you have created?

With Much Love and Gratitude,

Pamela

Hi Lovies,

Here is a VERY COOL site that Moria sent me yesterday that shows some other Cob structures over in her neck of the woods!

COB IN CORNWALL

I love how that sun is sculpted into the front of that fireplace!

Hey Aaron...Do you notice how well I am behaving myself over here on this forum? I'll have you know that it ISN'T EASY for me to stop myself from Flirting Outrageously with all of the intelligent and serious men over here... But you can be sure that if any of them decide to pop on over to the Party thread that Grace and I started, I, along with the rest of the Delightful Ladies over there, will undoubtedly be unable to keep our Powerful Feminine Energy under control!

With Much Love and Gratitude,

Pamela

Hi Pamela! lol

You gotta watch out in this "serious" forum!

I think it is great to hear some feedback about these things from an artistic point of view. Much nicer to have them look and feel good as well as keeping the bills low

Hi

I just took a few pictures, just roughly made... I'm no artist... although I think this stuff brings it out in you when you get your hands and feet muddy The Face in the arch was going to be a CAT, I kept joking with my wife that I was going to make some more animals and she'd better come and stop me, we made finishing touches together - it was fun.

http://www.kosimesnadno.cz/images/cob/arch.jpg
http://www.kosimesnadno.cz/images/cob/mirror1jpg
http://www.kosimesnadno.cz/images/cob/mirror2.jpg
http://www.kosimesnadno.cz/images/cob/place-for things.jpg

p.s Another thing I like about COB, is that if you have some hold or space which needs filling... you can just shuv it full with COB... its subber strong when dry.

Neil

Thanks SO MUCH for posting these pics, Neil!

I could only open the 1st and 3rd link, but I am VERY IMPRESSED with your work! You have done a FABULOUS job and I am sure that it was MUCH FUN to do! And these pics, as well as the tip you included at the end of your post, has made me start thinking of some smaller projects that I could do around my home!!! I LOVE IT!!!

But wait... It looks to me that this building material HAS brought out the Artist within you!!! Way to GO, Neil!!!

With Much Love and Gratitude,

Pamela

Hi ... i

Yep your right... ts easy stuff... and brings out a creative side in us, everyone can try this The first thing I helped made was a outdoors bread oven... in the shape of a PIg (you put the bread in through th emouth)... I was amazed at how great it looked (don't have a picture).


The other pictures where missing a . and formated badly , try these.

http://www.kosimesnadno.cz/images/cob/mirror1.jpg
"http://www.kosimesnadno.cz/images/cob/place-for things.jpg:"

Those mirrors I just temporarily fixed to the wall with long nails supporting bottom and corners. Then gently squeezed the COB under edges etc.

Good luck with you projects

Neil