[Cob] Mainstreaming Natural Building

[Tim Nam]

Hi Tom,

I'm certainly no expert on cob, but if you ask me, cob is going to be a tough sell, especially to conventional builders and suppliers, because cob is going in a totally "new" direction.  Whereas the status quo is to minimize labor costs and inexpensive materials (ie, maximize profit with high-value-added products), cob, as we all know is labor intensive and extremely inexpensive.  Consumers have to lead the way, imo.  I think cob should be a part of the affordable housing market, kind of like a habitat for humanity deal, where recipients help build their homes, but it seems like the vast majority of people are still unaware of how great cob is.  I think the best thing to do is just build things legally and don't be shy about showing them off.  Right now, most cob buildings are secret (because of codes and permitting bs) and/or way out in the country where hardly anyone can see them.  

my two cents,

Tim



Tom Johnson <arlintj at yahoo.com> wrote: Please pardon if my ignorance is showing I am new around here.  I live in Western Washington.  Cob does not seem to be getting much exposure around here.  Any "cobbers" please respond. 
Is there currently a unified effort to crack the building code problem?  Who is on board for research and engineering?  Are there municipalities willing to risk being front runners in the search for a greener way, not in Oregon?  

Are there any pilot projects currently ongoing with the participation of government, education and business partners.  Most importantly is there money available to do such a thing.

Since cob creates a monolithic structure it seems to me that it would be a likely candidate for computer modeled analysis.

Most joe lunchbuckets out there are stuck in the ordinary and conventional.  How does cob appeal to them?  While I appreciate the uniqueness of many of the cob structures available for view on the internet I don't see how they would appeal to most of my neighbors.  How does cob create an opportunity for builders and suppliers of building materials.  

Acceptance and integration of natural building materials into the conventional building industry would certainly make it easier for those of us who would like to live a more natural life.

In short how do we go about selling NBM to the overcarbonized?

       
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Tim Kijoo Nam
Corvallis, OR
tkn317071 at yahoo.com
http://timsbloggo.blogspot.com/
"We are discussing no small matter, but how we ought to live." -Socrates
       
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Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?
 Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.