permaculture

["Eugene F. Monaco" <EFMonaco@compuserve.com>]

Message text written by INTERNET:permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
>The problem with this is how do you insulate for cold winters.  I have not
seen a truly elegant solution to this problem, primarily because it either
requires building two walls with a hollow core for cellulose fiber, or
straw, etc. or using  styrene/urethane exterior insulation.  One solution
doubles up your labor and materials to a profligate level and the other
contributes to the petro-chemical pollution madness.  
So my wife and I are in the process of building with straw bale exterior
walls on the north, east and west with adobe interior walls for solar
mass.<

Scott,
Just curious, what would you think of cob in place of the adobe for the SW?
 It seems to have both thermal resistivity and thermal mass, although labor
intensive?
Gene