It's a blustery day here in Lansing, but the leaves are beautiful and the sun has been peaking out from behind the clouds. It's the kind of day that reminds me of my time spent in the British Isles... or at least it would if I had ever managed to escape research and visit the coast. I have always longed for one of those white cottages with a thatched roof that are pictured on every postcard of Ireland and Wales, and believe it or not, I realized yesterday that I could actually have one some day!
The building style of these homes is called "cob" - a mixture of sand, clay, straw, and water that forms a malleable mud-like mixture that is mounded into walls. These walls can be shaped into whatever pattern you desire, from straight-laced rectangles to soaring towers, you construct them with your hands and a little help from your feet to churn the mixture.
I'm so intrigued by the thought of building one of these homes, I'm going to look into the zoning and codes for Ingham County to see if they allow this sort of structure. It would certainly bend some of the rules. For instance, I haven't quite figured out the whole "no insulation" thing, but if you make the home small enough and have one or two wood burning stoves, perhaps a Michigan winter would be manageable.
One option for renters to experience working with cob building is to build a cob oven in your backyard. Often these are sculpted to look like the yawning mouth of a cat or frog or gargoyle, but these wood fired ovens are first fired for a time till the cob reaches the appropriate temperature, then the ashes are removed and the radiant and ambient heat from the walls cooks your food!
If you're at all interested in cob building, check out this great blog entitled "The Year of Mud" - he really has some fascinating stories to tell about cob construction and lots of photos that walk you through the process.
I'll keep you updated on what I learn and hopefully next year I can find a place to start a small cob project!
- lauren -
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