Cob Insulation

U of Plymouth develops a super insulation for cob buildings — made of more cob. You just can not beat traditional materials. https://t.co/3UsGdVd6ms

— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) January 29, 2019

Items of Interest, 16 June 2011

Counterpunch: Fukushima and the Nuclear Establishment By KARL GROSSMAN
The Big Lies Fly High

Shale gas: Not a 'game changer' after all
by Kurt Cobb

I saw a link to a piece recommending cob houses be built in California, but I can't remember where... I've been looking at cob houses again...

The Year of Mud: Cob and natural building: Video: Two Beautiful Low Impact Roundhouses in Wales
I Love Cob!

Cob houses!

Kevin McCabe, Cob Building Specialists

Restoring Mayberry: Cob

Restoring Mayberry: Cob

More on cob houses

Via EB:

Mud, glorious mud: Homes made of earth
Graham Norwood, The Independent

If you look at the pictures, you may not be convinced of the sturdiness of cob houses. From the article:

"There's nothing more sustainable than cob. It's natural, it hasn't been processed and it's produced on-site," says Adam Weissman, one half of the team behind Cob in Cornwall, a Helston-based building firm. He and his wife, Katy Bryce, have built cob homes and extensions, but more than half of his work is repairing and maintaining period houses in the South-west.

"Most are between 200 and 400 years old so that's highly sustainable in itself," says Adam. "If there are problems, they tend to date from the Sixties and Seventies, when owners put cement render on walls. Some haven't looked after roofs and that has allowed water to seep in."

So they can last a long time, under certain climate and environmental conditions--but my question remains: would cob pass earthquake regulations? Brick doesn't.


Hobbit house saved from demolition as winds of change blow in pioneer’s favour
Simon de Bruxelles, The Times

Plus, KunstlerCast: Twilight of the Mall Era - Part 1.
(mp3)

Related links:
Warrens Farm Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast Accommodation

Cob House Pictures

History of Cob Building



Cobworks gallery


Cob Cottage Company: Cob house, Heartwood, California, 1995.

Where is Heartwood???

More on cob

Green Home Building: Natural Building Techniques: Cob
The Cob Builders Handbook
What is Cob?
Cob House
Cob house designs and planning
Cob House | Off The Grid Living
House Alive!
The Coleman Experience - A photoblog: The Cob House Archives
Earthen and Cob Houses
Cob Together
Becky Bee's Cob Pages
Underground Cob House photo story
I Love Cob! : Fruth & Brown Cob House
The Hand-Sculpted House: how to build a cob cottage
Cob Cottage Company
Natural Building Network

The Barclays Self Build Cob House, via Transition Culture.

What would it take to build your own house here in California? (A cob house would probably not be acceptable under current regulations.) How do the Amish do it? Look at the photos of the house during various stages of construction. Kudos to the owners for undertaking such an enterprise.

Bullish on Amish-Built