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Oct 29
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Cob & Cold Climates: What You Need To Know

By Winter, Heating, Moisture

cold-cob-climate

Some time back, I wrote up an article about why cob is not appropriate for cold climates, based on our experiences living in Gobcobatron for several winters. I continue to get emails from folks saying something like “hey, I live in northern Illinois and really want to live in a cob house… can you recommend some resources?” My usual response is then something like “hold on a second there… I think you need to reconsider… cob may not be the best choice for your location…”

Anyway, it seems clear that folks may still not be up to speed on why cob is not a suitable choice for more northerly or cold climates. I have revisited my original post and added some new information on why cob is not suitable for cold climates.

I hope you’ll check it out. There’s even more to be said, but the basic gist of the issue is there!

Oct 27
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We’re Moving

By Homesteading
Moving to Berea, Kentucky

From the prairie, to the foothills…

This November marks the beginning of a new chapter for April and I, and The Year of Mud. We are officially moving from Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in northeast Missouri to the Appalachian foothills of Berea, Kentucky. After more than 6 years living here, and due to a number of reasons, we are called elsewhere. It is definitely not a small decision. These are exciting times for us, but not without some sadness too. After all, we are leaving our community and our home(s) to start from utter scratch. We’ve invested a lot of our sweat, energy, and emotion into this place, yet we feel solid to say that our vision is taking us elsewhere. Here I’ll describe a bit about what we have in mind.

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Oct 23
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It’s Alive (Or At Least, Will Be): Living Roof Installed and Seeded

By Living Sod Roof, Strawtron
New Green Living Roof: Straw Bale House

Newly built living roof, seeded and mulched… and one day, green!

Finally finally finally… after many months of waiting, we are on our way to a completely finished living roof on our straw bale house. Yowee. Just last week, we completed the lower roof over the east half of the house. After we designed and built our living roof edge detail, we heaved soil up there once and for all. Very exciting. I guess it won’t be truly “done” until it’s green, but I’m happy enough for now!

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Oct 18
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How To Keep Soil on Your Roof: Living Roof Edge Detail

By Living Sod Roof, Strawtron
Living Roof Edge Board

Our living roof edge detail getting installed

The hardest part of building a living roof, other than figuring out how to get all that monstrously heavy soil or sod up there, is designing a good edge detail that will contain the soil at the eaves and gable ends. A good living roof edge detail should contain the soil on the roof, while simultaneously allowing the excess rainwater to drain off, all without puncturing your liner, and allowing for some kind of gutter system. And it should look decent. That’s a lot of design details to weigh, but I think we developed a good set of plans. Check it out.

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Oct 10
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Live Edge Siding: “It Sings”

By Strawtron, Carpentry
Straw Bale House: Live Edge Siding

Our recent live edge siding job on the north porch… here’s the west view

I’ve been meaning to put up some images of our completed live edge siding job for a long, long time now… so here they are. Finally! An individual walking by the other day commented on the siding, saying “it sings”… a sweet compliment, I thought. I would agree. I just love the stuff. The grain, color, curves, and contrast with the plaster on the other parts of the house are very pleasing. I have no doubt we’ll feature more live edge siding in future building projects.

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Oct 06
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Pizza… and More Cob Oven Workshop Photos

By Natural Building Workshops, Cob Oven
Outdoor Pizza Oven: Fresh Pizza

A particularly bubbly pizza gets topped with fresh basil during our pizza party

Our latest group of Cob Oven Workshop students departed last week with full bellies, new oven building skills, and with a greater glimpse of life in an intentional community. These 3 day workshops are very fun for us, and I foresee planning more for the future. Can we pull off doing a few in 2014? I sure hope so…

Each time we build another cob oven, I learn something new. The same applies to when we go to actually use the oven, as well. Our pizza is slightly improving every time. Mmm..

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Oct 03
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Our Cob House, Gobcobatron is For Sale

By Resources
Gobcobatron: Cob House Interior

The current Gobcobatron interior

I promised some big news earlier, and here it is! Gobcobatron, one of the most recognized homes at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri, is for sale. It is a cob house that’s been featured in Yes! magazine, Popular Mechanics, Parade Magazine, Treehugger, Lloyd Kahn’s Tiny Homes, overseas magazines, and other media.

The house is a great 3 season dwelling, and is currently being utilized for earning rental income. This house has a lot of potential for the right individual looking for a seasonal space, or for earning income while living in a popular intentional community.

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Oct 01
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Minka: Short Film about Restoring Ancient Japanese Farmhouse

By Traditional Building, Resources, Video

While on the subject of the minka, or traditional Japanese farmhouse for a hot a minute, here is a fantastic short film & documentary simply titled Minka, describing the restoration of John Roderick’s well-known home in Japan. The restoration of the ancient farmhouse was led by the young and beginner (at the time) architect Yoshihiro Takishita.

This is a fantastic short film, not for just the story of the challenging re-construction of the minka, but the beautiful friendship between John Roderick and Yoshihiro Takishita himself. Very inspiring stuff. The short synopsis says it nicely: “A film about place and memory, a farmhouse in Japan, and the lives of the people who called it home.”

 

Sep 30
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Can’t Get Enough of those Curvy Beams: Minka

By Traditional Building
Minka: Traditional Japanese Farmhouse

A minka, or traditional Japanese farmhouse with massive, curvy beams on display

For some reason or another, ever since I was young, I’ve been drawn like a magnet to the various products of Japanese culture. What those products are have changed throughout time, whether it was films, or food, etc. Lately, I have been somewhat secretly obsessing over minka, or traditional Japanese farmhouse architecture, with its signature massive beams, wood joinery, huge thatch roofs, sliding shoji doors… Beautiful buildings that seem impossibly well-crafted by long-gone builders with nothing but hand tools and human muscle at their disposal.

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Sep 24
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Like Icing on a Cake: Applying Finish Clay Plaster

By Cob Oven, Clay Plaster
Cob Oven - Clay Plaster

Applying the finish clay plaster to our cob oven

Busy busy busy. It seems like the story of our lives doesn’t change very much. I have lots of catching up to do. But as I sit here and avoid work for a mere moment, let me share this recent photo of our finish clay plaster application to our outdoor cob oven. Smooth clay plaster looks amazing, but I think it looks its finest right after it goes on. It’s like literally putting icing on your walls (or oven, or whatever you happen to be plastering). Love it. One day, I’d love to get some more serious training on how to do clay plaster on an expert level.

I hope to have a brandy new outdoor cob oven how-to written up soon, not to mention make a few updates about the state of Strawtron, our straw bale house we’ve been chugging away on. We also have other big news coming down the pipes. Keep posted, as always.