About me:
I'm as old as the hills, and made of the same stuff. I won't burn, bugs won't eat me, and I'm dirt cheap. Houses made of me last for 500 years and more, but you can build one for under $1000. After all, I'm just sand, clay, and straw, the same mixture as adobe. What's the difference between me and adobe? Well, with adobe, they make bricks out of me, but you don't need to make bricks. It's actually a lot stronger, and can be much more artistic, if you just sculpt me into one big, monolithic piece. Now, although I might be inexpensive, it takes a lot of work to build with me, but it's the best, most transformative and joyous work you'll ever do. I also don't need any more complicated equipment or tools to build than wheelbarrows, shovels, and various other low-tech, relatively safe tools, so the job site is safe for kids, and you can even get them to help without any arm-twisting! What kid wouldn't want to build out of mud! No, I won't dissolve in the first rain storm! *Scoff!* Don't be silly! There are thousands of houses made out of me in rainy England that have been standing for 200 years, and the biggest resurgence in building with me is in rainy, coastal Oregon. I am basically human-created sandstone. Huff and puff and blow this down, Big Bad Wolf! Once you put an earthen or lime plaster on me, I can be indistinguishable from any stucco house, or I can have beautiful curves and sculptural elements. Your hands and feet already know how to build with me. All they have to do is remember. I am cob. For more info on me, click here.
Who I'd like to meet: Visionaries who care about the environment or who just want to avoid the financial trap and general insanity of today's toxic, shoddy McHouses.
If you have a natural home, or even know the location of one, please contact naturalhomes.org to add a structure to the Natural Homes Map.
My dreams will someday be a reality...a reality of life within cob. I'm so excited! My girlfriend and I are taking a weekend class on Cob in Sept. It's going to be grrrrrrrreat!
Peace -by Henry Van Dyke Here hangs a fortress on the distant steep,-- A lichen clinging to the rock: There sails a fleet upon the deep,-- A wandering flock Of snow-winged gulls: and yonder, in the plain, A marble palace shines,--a grain Of mica glittering in the rain. Beneath thy feet the clouds are rolled By voiceless winds: and far between The rolling clouds new shores and peaks are seen, In shimmering robes of green and gold, And faint aerial hue That silent fades into the silent blue. Thou, from thy mountain-hold, All day, in tranquil wisdom, looking down On distant scenes of human toil and strife, All night, with eyes aware of loftier life, Uplooking to the sky, where stars are sown, Dost watch the everlasting fields grow white Unto the harvest of the sons of light, And welcome to thy dwelling-place sublime The few strong souls that dare to climb The slippery crags and find thee on the height.
I absolutely love cob houses, we are going to build our own in Greece. Nice to see a page on MySpaz about this!! If there is anyone in Greece building in cob, I would love to know!! x elayne
Hi, Thank you for adding us! Please make sue you check out our new website on sustainability. You can really save some money with this new tool! Sustainanomics http://sustainanomics. unst. pdx. edu
It is great to see all of you with the purpose of helping the world on my site... I am so pleased to know how dedicated and nice you all are...please keep adding and coming to my site...tell others to request me too...
You are inspirational to many....keep up the good work! Be B.R.A.V.E. you have our continued support …we need you to be B.R.A.V.E Bringing Recycling Agriculture Vitality to Earth…copyright 2008 hello...i love this style of building...how much does it cost and approx how long to build approx 1000-2000 sf?
1st person to give a comment! neato! I FINALLY found some folks in my area that do Cob. I was an amazing day to see cob builders on Whidbey Island on the front page of the Life & Arts section of the county paper. The headline was 'WHAT IS COB?' I thought that was great!
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