Cob Thinking of changing plans

[goshawk at gnat.net]

Well it's been two weeks since I've done anything on the Mauk house. 
Well after traveling, climbing and trying not to freak out while my 
wife is having a hysterectomy, I have managed to spend some time 
thinking about the house I'm building. 

(http://www.gnat.net/~goshawk if this is new to you)

Instead of the multiple domes around the one large dome I would 
instead build a polygon (octagon inspired) around the large dome and 
foyer dome. From the polygon walls I will harvest some of the trees 
on the land and use them as vigas. the logs would stretch from the 
polygon walls (straight) to the inner Large dome (corbelled inward) 
for  a distance of about 12 feet. This area would be a flat roof in 
which you could go and sit on top. Out of the center of this polygon 
the large dome would protrude about another 9 or 10 feet more. 

I'm kind of thinking out loud here so if anything sounds too far off, 
holler. 
Random thoughts are:
1.) I think it would be a lot less effort in terms of moving earth. 
2.) The roof would add some more cost because I'd need to find wood 
to plank over the vigas (maybe some old barn siding?)
3. I'd be loosing some buttressing from the outer domes. I'd have to 
re-design some more buttressing for the large dome. 
4. I'd have to come up with some kind of roof plate  which would be 
in the middle of this dome. Maybe plywood (2 or threes layers) 
laminated together  and bolted down to a circle of bags with stabilized 
earth. The vigas would be placed on this (to distribute the weight 
better) and bags placed between the vigas and then the rest of the 
dome would sit on that.  
5. I wonder how long it will take me harvest and debark the trees. 


Well let me sit down in the next couple of weeks and make up a 
drawing. I was  having a bit of trouble deciding how to use this 
space. Maybe I'll have a "help design this this house" contest. 


Well I'll start working on the drawing this week. 


Latter

L&L
Pat
& the Maukly crew
email: goshawk at gnat.net
http : http://www.gnat.net/~goshawk