Cob: COB in the tropical rainforest?

[mike stone]

Hi Everyone!

I just joined the list a little while ago. I was directed to cob 
construction a couple weeks ago by someone in another forum when I inquired 
about alternative and green building. Originally, I was thinking about 
monolithic domes but was surprised by their high cost so I'm hoping cob is 
for me. I have a few questions and I hope someone here can help me out.

I'm currently living in Texas (Austin and Houston) but I just sold my house 
in Austin and I plan to move to Costa Rica within the next six months. From 
what I've read about cob, it seems to be suitable for cool, damp places like 
the Pacific Northwest, but I haven't seen anything about how it fares in 
warm, damp places like the tropical rainforests of Central America.

Here are some of my questions?

Has anyone built any cob houses in a warm climate with lots of rainfall? How 
did it work out? Any problems with mold? Any problems with erosion of the 
building?

Would a concrete slab facilitate the construction of a cob house in the 
rainforest?

Does cob construction lend itself well to the creation of a two-story 
building, or at least a house with a loft?

Lastly, are there people in Houston or Austin that have cob homes that I 
could see? Also, any interest in either of these cities for a group to meet 
to discuss and possibly do some cob construction?

Thanks in advance,
mike

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