permaculture

[Jonathan Storvick <jstorvick@gmail.com>]

Hi Isabel,

You might want to try contacting Christine Gyovai of the Blue Ridge
Permaculture Network in Virginia - she and her partner Reed Muehlman (an
architect who taught an earth- and natural-building segment during my PDC)
live in a self-built straw bale home in Albemarle County, VA.  She may be
able to point you to some other SE resources as well.  Her contact info can
be found at:
http://www.dialogueanddesign.com/
and
http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/index.html

Cheers,

Jon

On Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 12:15 PM, Udan Farm <udanfarm@yahoo.com> wrote:

> HI Folks,
> Reading about Quail Springs and their buildings, (I've been there by the
> way, and it's really a great example of permaculture in dry climate) I've
> been wondering if ANYONE knows ANYONE who has previously already BUILT any
> kind of earth homes-cob, in-ground, earthship, cordwood, etc. homes in the
> SOUTH...I'm talking HOT, HUMID, buggy, HUMID southern USA?
> I ask because a lot of folks are looking to me and my husband, as
> permaculture teachers, asking questions about building something from earth
> that doesn't cost 200k, and I'm of the mind that those big thermal mass
> things connected to the ground DO NOT work well in the humidity. It gets
> cold and hot here, sometimes with about a 40* range in one day, add the
> humidity and the walls (even on a well insulated stick built house) SWEAT
> something aweful, and books, rugs, fabrics, clothes and shoes go quite
> moldy.
> I'm fond of the Cracker style house-up off the ground, wide porches, lots
> of windows, high ceilings, and a cupola on top that opens.That works for FL
> and central GA but even up into the mountains, the ONE building I know of
> that's about 7 years old-made of cob and sitting on the ground is MOLDY
> smelling the minute you walk in it. And I know everyone knows that the
> answer is not HVAC running 24/7/52...
> I would love to hear you thoughts on that subject and if you know anyone
> with an older thermal mass/earth house I could ask these questions of...
> Thanks!!Isabel
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subscribe or unsubscribe here:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
> Google command to search archives:
> site: https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture searchstring
> More information:
> http://venaurafarm.blogspot.com
>
>