Earthships vis-av-vis cob

[Will Firstbrook WCB of BC]

Hi Tim,

I am also interested in building a cob home utilizing many of the
Earthship concepts. Cob is more adaptable in your construction design or
whims, as you are not limited to a number of U shaped rooms. With a Cob
home you can have an all glass south facing wall and use the interiour
planters and greywater recycling. You can use a solar/composting toilet
or use the filtered (planter bed) greywater in a watersaving toilet into
conventional septic. 

I will be attending a Cob workshop July 14-19, and have lots to learn.
Cant wait! 

I had attended a sustainable communities conference in Belingham last
March and I posted the following on the "Earthship" listserver.  

*****
Sun Ray Kelly is amazing! His houses are works of art. He has a
whimsical flare for design and uses earth friendly natural building
materials to build energy efficient comfortable homes. His designs
remind me about the creativity about the Jim Henson movie sets or a
house that Yoda from Star wars would live in. But these structures are
also real homes.

I talked to him about some of his ideas around earthships. He thinks the
concepts are fantastic. An idea he has to avoid all the labour pounding
all of those tires,  is to use huge bales of straw 4' * 4' * 8' approx
R90 move them into ideal position. One important note is the bales of
straw must never get wet. Then make a 3 to 4 foot cob wall on the inside
for the huge mass. Cob is dirt, sand, clay and straw mixed together. I
saw some sample bricks from the Cob cottage company, this is seriously
heavy stuff. A brick sized chunk has got to be at least 5 times heavier
than real brick. Cob can be molded into any shape imaginable but can
only be built 8" high each day.  He would  also cob the outside of the
straw. The greenhouse side of this structure can be built with windows
and cob. All of the earthship systems  can be retained in this structure
water collection & distribution inside planters and greywater recycling,
cob & straw thermal mass refrigerator etc.

BTW I saw his picture of the 30 foot circle of cedar trees he wishes to
use and weave in floors into this living structure. With a big big smile
he says could you imagine if you came back into the future 350 years
from now you could have an 80 floor living apartment building.

On Friday he had a slide show presentation. His first words were "I like
to start in the future... Create works of art, then visualize it,
commitment to the project makes it happen".  He says "when you work with
nature magic happens". He has an air of creativity, joy and fun around
him. He told me if you can't have fun building your dream home why
bother.  A real inspiration!
****

I hope that helps! Your limits are your imagination. 

Regards, Will

>-----Original Message-----
>From:	timjt at awod.com [SMTP:timjt at awod.com]
>Sent:	Tuesday, June 24, 1997 5:20 AM
>To:	coblist at deatech.com
>Subject:	Earthships vis-av-vis cob
>
>Sorry if this question is too elementary....
>
>I'm just beginning to investigate the Earthship concept.  I understand that
>it normally calls for rammed earth, tires, cans, etc.
>
>I'm wondering what anyone here has thought about the integration of cob
>construction with Earthship concepts?  If it feasible?
>
>I ask because cob really appears to ma a much more attractively natural
>method than using tires & cans -- though I fully understand and appreciate
>the intent of the latter, and admit that such applications can have merit.
>
>- Tim Tikker
>
>