Ever heard of a Cob House? No, these aren’t new, instead, they have been the way in which a lot of civilizations used to build their homes 100’s of years ago and even today. Really, you can see them in Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and all over the world. Some of them are a few hundred years old and still standing strong!
Today we sneak-peek into Marie-France Roy’s self-built cob home which is one tiny little sustainable home.
Before That, Let’s Clarify What Is A Cob House
Clay-like lumps of soil, sand, and straw go into the making of Cob houses. This form of building doesn’t use dried bricks or blocks instead the wall surfaces are built up using lumps of damp cob mixture, compressed, and sculpted into smooth, sinuous forms. A cob home architecture is one of the most durable types of earth architecture. This is because here the mud mixture is porous, as cob can withstand long periods of rain without wearying. Cob architecture is best suited for areas with too dry climates like the deserts and even for areas having very cold climates.
Marie-France Roy’s Magical ‘Cob House’
In focus is a cozy cob micro cabin built by Marie France Roy, who wanted to build a sustainable home. Marie is a professional snowboarder from Canada who used natural and reclaimed materials to construct her tiny yet spacious home.
So, the main floor is built with cob i.e. a mix of sand, clay, and straw – and the upper floor is built with reclaimed cedar siding. Marie also used second-hand windows and other materials which were on their way to the landfills.
For heat, she uses a sealed woodstove and also has a backup electric heat if she’s leaving the house for a protracted period. For waste and water, she is hooked up to a septic and well. Currently, she is using propane for her stove and hot water heating but has bought and activated a system to produce and collect methane using food waste. She hopes to eventually shift to using homemade gas instead of propane. The little cob house is linked onto the grid but she also has a small solar panel array to feed renewable energy onto the grid.
Here’s a quick sneak peek into this amazing cob house:
Cob Is Trending
Building a small cob structure is one cost-effective adventure and it’s great for those living in areas that have proper natural resources. There are plenty of books written and many continue to be written – few of the most amazing ones for your DIY journey are Building with Cob: A Step-by-Step Guide by Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce; The Hand-Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage by Ianto Evans, Linda Smiley, and Michael G. Smith; and The Cob Builders Handbook: You Can Hand-Sculpt Your Own Home by Becky Bee.
Certainly, cob is not as cliched as it sounds.
Interesting Read: All You Want To Know About Earthbag Building
http://thehistoryhacker.com/2013/01/22/three-extremely-belated-alternatives-to-the-civil-war/ Curated by a building expert from http://servuclean.com/2012/07/commercial-office-cleaning-services-in-mississauga-and-brampton/ Wienerberger India
