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[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

Bob, this is an interesting story. You are like having my 
own personal news service combing the net!

In the early 90's I was involved with the Sustainable 
Building Coalition and helped build a two room cob cottage 
that was designed by architect Gail Borst and built 
entirely by a group of women. Ultimately it was going to 
house the counsellor of a children's camp, so it was a 
donation from us and a way to experiment. It was very 
labor intensive, and my major contribution was helping put 
in the rammed earth floor. The ceiling beams were old 
wooden bleachers salvaged from the tear down of a 
university gym. For a while there was a cob book with a 
drawing of the building on the cover. Unfortunately it was 
built too near a large creek and a flood destroyed it 
after two years. I still have photos from the open house.

Having helped build three strawbale homes, I think I would 
choose straw for ease and speed of construction, and 
insulative properties over building with cob again. I am 
intrigued by earthbag construction, but having never done 
it I can only imagine it is somewhere in between.

--Sage


On Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:58:52 -0700 (PDT)
 bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com> wrote:
> I've seen this story, about two women running into all 
> sorts of problems buliding a little cob house retreat, in 
> several places, recently.  It is in the new issue of 
> Countryside Magazine ....bobf
>
> http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/92/92-5/cob_house-a_place_to_heal.html
>
>
>      
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