Cob cob codes

[Otherfish at aol.com]

Andy G
In a message dated 9/17/98 10:42:21 PM, you wrote:

<<Oh, good!Maybe "they" don't plan on regulating these types of structures!
.In my neighborhood, only the extremely eccentric would consider a "dirt"
building as a home, so does that mean my house won't be considered a residence
by the building department?
If and when they look it over maybe all I have to do is say, "Hah! That? A
house? Who would live in a pile of dirt and straw?!?"
Maybe it's better that way....>>

would that it were so
-building officials are a generally unhumorous lot
-they have no plans to ignore anything built in their territiory
-the operative word here is "building"
-dirt / earth / or otherwise
-being eccentric is great
-however
-why should anyone be required to be considered "odd" to build with earth?
-that is not "better"
-the freedom to build with earth is what is needed

-the way to accomplish this is to include cob into the building code
-anything less will keep it "odd" & marginalized
-in a position of reinventing the wheel each time it is built
-subject to the whim of the building official
-this is not/would not be better !!

a realistic cob code needs to be written
one that allows freedom to build with local materials
either "straight" or "odd"
anything less is (not unfortunately) more in this case

this can be done
it only requires the will do do so
to take control of the situation
the forces involved are real
it does no good to ignore them

courage
cob on 
john fordice
TCCP
otherfish at aol.com