Cob house construction is an ancient building technique using lumps of earth mixed with sand, straw, and water. He is the founder and director of house alive housealive. This is the first comprehensive online course on cob building ever created. See more ideas about cob house, earth homes, natural building.
People have been building with cob for hundreds of years some say thousands. Building with cob is a powerful political action, greatly reducing the need for the. The hand sculpted house, a practical and philosophical guide to building a cob cottage, is a must read for anyone who wants to have the freedom to build a one of a kind creative and artistic home. I dont doubt that built right, cob can withstand florida. A glimpse at how to build a cob cottage from the foundation to the roof.
Most of the buildings in las vegas have stucco over. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and uses lowcost materials, although it is very labour intensive. It is quite similar to adobe in that the basic mix of clay and sand is the same, but it. This 12 hour video course educates you on how to build a cob house, stepbystep. Feb 16, 2019 learn how to build a cob house with these books and online video workshop course. Im very interested in cob building and would like to build my own house eventually. Since cob house continue reading a whirlpool jacuzzi in tadelakt. With the first recorded mud buildings dating back to 8,000bc in jericho, cob building building with mud has a long history. One of the things we learnt at this workshop was how to make cob. Despite the unusual sounding name, cob houses are not made of corn cobs. I wonder how long some of our suburban homes will last. We are planning on starting small by building a couple of dog houses for our dogs before we actually build our own home. Jackie craven has over 20 years of experience writing about architecture and the arts. Jun 04, 2015 building with cob requires a lot of physical labor but the materials are cheap, so it is one way to get a very lowcost house as long as you dont pay someone else to do the work.
In the midst of these proposals is a stack of paper over pages called the rb299. The contents of subsoil naturally vary, and if it does not contain the right mixture it can be modified with sand or clay. There are many resources available which can help you to plan and build a cob home. May 30, 2019 cob house under construction in greyton, western cape province, south africa. This book is interesting and provides basic cob building techniques along with ideas and suggestions to give it a try for yourself. I wish that it could be made out of cob so it would last for hundreds of years. From straw bale and cob to recycled concrete and salvaged materials, this anthology of articles from leaders in. It is an ancient method of construction and one that is found all over the world. Thats pretty dang impressive considering the simple nature and composition of the material. So if youre looking for more information on building with cob, check out. This is a proposal to make a separate building code for cob houses and other cob structures. Building with cob may be fairly labor intensive, but the rewards can be countless. Welcome to the internets one and only destination for cob house plans, tiny cob house designs, and other natural building designs. The book has virtually every bit of information one could hope to find about cob building.
When you create a cob house you literally sculpt it. Mar 05, 2014 cob houses are part of the earth house, ecofriendly house, natural building architecture. Of course cob houses dont have to be curvy though, they can be made with straight walls and right angles for that modern look. One of the best books you can buy on building with cob is by ianto evens this is little cottage sitting in the optimistic shade of a small wild apricot. This volume is an encyclopedia of natural building for nonprofessionals as well as architects and designers. Cob houses cob is a natural building material made from subsoil, water, some kind of fibrous organic material typically straw, and sometimes lime. Uncle b live in canada will the winter frosts destry a cob house. Because its mainly clay and sand, you dont have much for forest fires to burn up. It is quite similar to adobe in that the basic mix of clay and sand is the same, but it usually has a higher percentage of long straw fibers mixed in. I just mention it because of my experience with the building department when i lived in las vegas. How to build a house with cob farm and garden grit. Cob is a very old method of building with earth and straw or other fibers. Cob houses are constructed using clay subsoil, straw and water. Therefore it is 1 way to receive a very lowcost house so long as you dont pay another person.
Cob sets hard, so as long as the cob walls are thick enough they can be load bearing although keep in mind that building a house that will be deemed safe and compliant is another kettle of fish altogether. Mother earth news explains that cob building gets its name from. Ive compiled a list of books i own that i feel are the best. He has taught workshops in the united states, mexico, spain, italy and india. Designed for everybody, what ever your previous experience, what ever your cob building dreams or plans are, we will empower you to build your own cob house or studio after just 4 days. Cob houses are part of the earth house, ecofriendly house, natural building architecture. I dont recall reading about them in the couple of cob building books i have read, but it has been some time since i read them. Often called earth homes, cob houses are fun to build and economical. Because youre making the walls out of cob, you can form steps into the floor, you can have the cob flow so it has places to put books and other storage spaces.
Design, construction, resources new society, 2002 and the handsculpted house. Photo by chris mcclellan a profile of a typical cob and thatch building, illustrating wall details. Free book teaches how to build a cob house a magical life. Cob builders spend less of their lives working to pay for all of the above, and more. Tony wrench is a resourceful builder with a fine writing style.
Begin building with a clear plan in mind, but let your creativity guide you. Cob house under construction in greyton, western cape province, south africa. Cob building sites are generally safer than those involving projects that use heavy machinery. Most important to me was the books detailed instructions on how to build a reciprocal roof the only printed documentation anywhere. It is a fascinating read and should inspire the reader to broaden their understanding of an alternative house building technique as well as the desire to learn even more.
And the special alex is running includes both of his books and two sets of cob building plans, one for a house and one for a garden wall. May 06, 2016 a standard weeklong cob workshop is usually focused so much on mixing large quantities of cob and building cob walls that a whole list of other important topics is passed right over. Cob, cobb or clom in wales is a natural building material made from subsoil, water, fibrous organic material typically straw, and sometimes lime. In england and wales cob is wellaccepted and there are regions, like devon, where there is a higher presence of old cob houses with 2foot wide foundations. Building with cob is a powerful political action, greatly reducing the need for the mortgage systems, lumber and construction industries, and petrochemical companies. Cob is a popular choice for areas that prone to wild fires or other extreme weather. Earthwood building school offers books, videos and plans by us and others on subjects of interest to anyone whose goals are to build their own green shelter using natural materials or to live gracefully on the land in a selfreliant manner. Choosing the frame work of your cob house is one of the first steps in cob building. Cob allows you to easily create curves, and carve shelves and features into your walls. Becky bees manual is a friendly guide to making your own earth structure, with chapters on design, foundations, floors, windows and doors, finishes, and of course, making glorious cob. Germany is also active and has a section for earthen building in their codes. Cob building is easy to learn, requires no special equipment, and uses sustainable materials. See more ideas about cob building, cob and natural. Most of the wood used throughout the home was salvaged from fallen trees.
A stepbystep guide and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. I prefer the hand sculpted house book because it also gives details on how to build a cob rocket stove into a cob house project which is almost an essential. Although cob doesnt spring to mind for most of us as a house construction method or self build option in the uk, there is a long tradition of cob building in the southwest of england, and to a. From my own experience i can tell you that books have a wealth more of information then any free website. A stepbystep guide with detailed illustrations and photos, this manual features stepbystep instructions for creating cob structures. Building a solid foundation for your cob house this cob house. Conrad rogue has been teaching earthen construction since 2001. After her initial success with cob, ott traveled to oregon to apprentice with the cob cottage company. Building a tiny cob cottage in northern california, usa.
She is the author of two books on home decor and sustainable design. The house was designed to make the most of passive solar energy. Having a good foundation is of critical importance for your cob house. Good cob will be quite hard, though you can still bust chunks off a cob wall with a hammer. Best cob building books a list to guide you about what cob building is and how it is done. Its one of the natural homes at jill hogans alternative technology centre in mcgregor, south africa about km west of cape town. Cob an old english word for lump is oldfashioned concrete, made out of a mixture of clay, sand, and straw. Biking through europe there was not one country that did not have earthen buildings in their rural areas. A philosophical and practical guide to building a cob cottage.
Cob and natural building books recommended cob and building. Cob an old english word for lump is oldfashioned concrete, made out of a mixture of clay, sand and straw. A cob building with a high foundation and good eves can handle a surprising amount of sideways rain, but it can never sit in a puddle. Im heavily considering purchasing land in florida in the near future, but cant seem to find much precedence for cob houses in the southern us barefootbuilder has built a cob pottery studio in pensacola, fl. See diy cobbuilding technique, later in this article. Making cob 101 the basics of basics cob forum at permies. The cob cottage was designed by mayne islands cobworks in conjunction with oregonbased cob cottage company.
Some modern houses fall apart after 30 years, cob homes will last for several generations and are easy to repair when they do need repairing. Cob is strong, durable and cob houses should stand forever as long as their roof is maintained and the property is looked after properly. A standard weeklong cob workshop is usually focused so much on mixing large quantities of cob and building cob walls that a whole list of other important topics is passed right over. For me, it might be a bit out of the box type of building.
Cob building dates back hundreds of years ago, and cob houses built over 500 years ago in europe are still inhabited to this day. This is the perfect book if you seriously want to build a cob structure. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Cob really is not rocket science and with a little practice and experience anybody can do it.
In the uk we ensure our cob houses last for hundreds of years by incorporating a few basic design features that make them suitable for our climate. Cob structures can be used as homes, chicken coops, barns, and even smaller ones for ovens. Ive come up with a short list of books for aspiring cob builders to get inspired and get set on the path to actual construction of a small cob house. For descriptions, specifications and prices, simply hover on the books image and click on read more. Natural building books my recommendations jeffrey the natural. A practical and philosophical guide to building a cob cottage chelsea green, 2002. The ultimate ecological building resource includes examples of diverse natural dwellings, from a hybrid hobbit house to a thatched studio and a cob office. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. A practical guide to building a cob cottage the real goods solar living book. Cob and natural building books recommended cob and. In fact more than 30 per cent of the worlds population still live in buildings that are built of earth.
The material is now making something of a comeback in the developed. The real goods solar living book ianto evans, michael g. Best cob house plans building with cob needs a lot of physical labor but the materials are cheap. How to build a house with cob learn how to build earth homes using cob building techniques. Building your own home for dummies by kevin daum, janice. Tony wrench details the entire process of building his own hybrid roundhouse with cordwood, cob, etc.
Cob will shake and roll a little before cracking, concrete wont. When her family relocated to the mountains east of nashville, tenn. Information on natural finishes is provided, including lime plasters, renders and washes, homemade clay and casein paints, and earthen plasters. Photo by melissa west choosing the frame work of your cob house is one of the first steps in cob building. Rocket mass heater books are avaiable directly from leslie jackson, the coauthor. A few months before we started on our cob building henry we went to a natural building workshop an hour from where we live. Cob houses are made of claylike lumps of soil, sand, and straw. A practical and philosophical guide to building a cob cottage. Learning how to make and build with cob diy house building. Most of the buildings in las vegas have stucco over sheathing, and they absolutely require a weep screed.
Build your own earth oven if you are interested in a copy of the cob oven bible, get a copy directly from kiko, the author. Creating a cob house often creates a very healthy home for air quality. See more ideas about earth homes, earthship and natural building. The rb299 was the challenging and studious efforts of a nonprofit group in california you may want to know about, called the cob research institutecri, look them up.
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