Cob: Crew needed for precedent-Setting Cob House Project (fwd)

[Shannon C. Dealy]

Natural builders, carpenters, and cobbers are needed to help build an
engineered California and Uniform Building Code permitted cob house.  We
will be commencing construction on a 1200 sq. ft. cob addition to an
existing, nearly completed 400 sq ft two-story cob cottage.  We are
seeking a natural builder who has skills in construction supervising and
timberframing to lead the project.  We will pay builders and carpenters
commensurate with their experience.  We are offering apprenticeships to
persons seeking to build their skills in cob construction and natural
building; and will welcome volunteers who are looking for a shorter-term
apprenticeship, but are able to make a commitment of at least one
week.  We will provide coampsites on our land with an outdoor kitchen,
solar-heated showerhouse, and composting toilet, as well as organic bulk
food and produce.

We are building with recycled wood, whole logs, custom-milled, local
timber for constructing windows, doors, and other structural and built-in
elements (such as bed alcoves, window seats, and stairs), curved roofs and
ceilings, and, of course, curved, hand-sculpted walls.  We will be
renovating the existing structure and attaching the addition, which will
be sunk five feet into the hillside along the north.  We have created the
design especially with the principles of Christopher Alexander's 
"A Pattern Language" in mind.

We have been active in the Natural Building movement since 1995 when Misha
apprenticed and taught with the Cob Cottage Company and Elisheva
participated in six weeks of workshops.  We have worked together for five
summers on our own building, have done extensive research in architectural
design and natural building methods, and have already acquired experience
in cob demolition and renovation on our project.

Our land is in the country in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
of California, two and a half hours due East of San Francisco, close to
the gold rush town of Sonora.  Besides being near to the Emigrant
Wilderness and Yosemite and Giant Sequoia groves, our own property has a
beautiful creek-fed, two-acre pond, which is a haven for wildlife and much
appreciated for summertime swimming.  The site is in the early stages of
developing a permaculture system.

We plan to begin excavation and foundation work June 1, 2002 and cobbing
as soon as possible thereafter.  Please contact Misha and Elisheva
Rauchwerger at 209-928-1180 (until May 31, 2002) or 209-588-0586 (cob
house/worksite).