Nice way to end the day
Don’t you love it when that happens?
October feels like it is moving quicker than lightning. It is one of my favorite months, no doubt. A much-needed rainstorm ended with this visual feast just the other day.
The work season is rapidly coming to an end…
Fresh first coat of earthen plaster in our future bedroom
The fact that we’ve come this far during the workshop makes me very happy. Here’s looking at our future bedroom, with a fresh base coat of earthen plaster, and our first trimmed window with embedded black walnut window sill. It looks fantastic. The students have been loving the mud. I love that they love the mud.
Things are good. The workshop has been a blast. Today is our last day!
Mo and Rick apply some earthen plaster
We’ve been having a great time during our 2012 Straw Bale Workshop. The students have really taken to working with bales, and most recently, mixing and applying earthen plaster. People just love the mud.
I love working with our students, and again, it will be very sad to see everyone go home. We’ve gotten an incredible amount of work done in just one week.
Chiseling a mortise in the afternoon sun
Things are going quite well during our Timber Framing Workshop. I’ll have a lot more to say when I have the time to write, but here’s a few photos in the meantime!
A double beveled broad axe from John Neeman Tools
I got excited as a schoolchild the other day when I saw a distinctly shaped package arrive in the mail — my broad axe from John Neeman Tools finally arrived. This hand forged broad axe is truly a piece of artwork.
Playing Agricola by candlelight
When there are a bunch of candles lit in the house, I can’t resist snapping a photo or two. (Partly to see if it’s enough light to actually do so, and partly because I just really like the way it looks.) Here’s a photo from a cool night a few days ago, when we lit a fire and played Agricola (an agriculture-themed board game — pretty neat) by candelight. Fun times!
Our new straw bale house will also be lit exclusively by candlelight, too. That meas more good excuses for me to snap photos at night in the future…
Gobcobatron featured in GRACE of China
The most recent magazine to feature my cob house, Gobcobatron, is Grace of China. It’s kinda like Vogue, I think. But in Chinese. They did a full five pages on us, so maybe mud houses are trendy or something over there? I have no clue what the article says… translation anyone?
Check it out! (Click for large!)
I’ve updated my (abbreviated) cob house construction slideshow. This is a great series of images to show folks who are curious about what it is like to build with cob, and to give a look into all aspects of the construction process. The slideshow has been updated to include images of the “new look” of Gobcobatron, including the renovated terracotta tile floor and lime washed walls.
Check it out!
I never tire of thumbing through beautiful images of inspiring natural buildings, tiny houses, and well-designed spaces. Ahhh…
Well, this so-called free cabin porn site is just that and nothing else: a well-maintained collection of 100s of photos of beautiful traditional buildings and small cabins throughout the world, updated regularly. I’d love to see a collection of these images in print! (Print is always better, right?)
Sometimes I wonder if I wasn’t meant for Scandinavia. What with the region’s stunning living roofs, the old and beautiful traditions of timber construction, the forests… wow. This is my kind of aesthetic. These particular images are from Urnatur of Sweden. Urnatur is a so-called “eco lodge” and retreat, home to these lovely little rustic cottages. Inspirational stuff!
Hi there, I’m Ziggy. In 2008, I launched The Year of Mud while building my first natural home. This website is a collection of personal stories and experiences building with clay, straw, and wood over the past 15+ years. A few of the things that get me fired up are natural plasters, timber framing, & Japanese architecture. In 2012, we started offering Natural Building Workshops, so you can learn essential hands-on skills to build your own natural home.
