Cob: layout a circle

Thu Jul 10 11:36:03 CDT 2003

I just hammered a stake in the ground at the point I felt would be my center, attached a string to the stake and measured out to half of the circles width and then just used a shovel to mark the edge as I walked the perimeter. I personally dug the foundation by hand (just me) and it took 4 months in my spare time between downpours. As this building is really just a practice house before the big house that worked fine. However, for the big house I already have a backhoe lined up to dig the foundation and the cellar and the greywater trench.

As far as the plan goes, I didn't start drawing a plan until I finished digging the foundation. I really wanted to see what shape it would be (round I know, but I needed to see it in place) as it related to the surrounding environment. 

As I've started a natural building coalition here (mtns of NC) I have found that it is really easy to get people to come out and help. We have a few people with varying levels of experience and even have a member who is an architect/engineer. Start talking to people and network a bit. There are those out there who have an interest and thought they were the only ones.

BB to you too,
Phil

 --- On Thu 07/10, JINNIFER DONALDSON < jinniferdonaldson at hotmail.com > wrote:
From: JINNIFER DONALDSON [mailto: jinniferdonaldson at hotmail.com]
To: coblist at deatech.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 09:59:14 -0500
Subject: 

<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV></div>ok in order to get some man/woman power to help with building a cob house on your land what courses do you have to take a cob cottage company? and how far ahaed do you have to arrange it? can you just get advice on the planning of your cob house? i have several preliminary sketches on what i want it to look like inside and out i haven't purchased the land yet but we are working on it(me and my friend) should you use a small ditch digger machine to dig out the foundation? or should you dig it out by hand with a shovel? (there is only two of us) i know you usually mark out the boundries of a building at the four corners but what point of reference should you use in a round building? our plan is for five small cottages in a circle around a central kitchen building with a kitchen/courtyard garden around it.how are you supposed to make plans to scale if you aren't and archetect? help  i am having planning attacks.<BR><BR><BR>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face="Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif" color=#3399ff><EM><STRONG>Bright blessings from the Goddess and the Donaldsons</strong></em></font></div>
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