[Cob] cob on a slope

[Amanda Peck]

Sure.  Rob Roy's original cordwood book had a good section on that, as his 
first house was built just that way.  Don't know about the new book, and the 
original is long out of print.

Obviously you dig.  Spend quite a bit of time considering drains and 
waterproofing.  Roy's first house had, I think, drains to daylight, 12" 
block with a surface bond coating, (the house I've been in here was done 
with slipform concrete, and I think no insulation on this house, relying 
solely on thermal mass), with a waterproofing compound and insulation--don't 
remember which was first, then backfilled--gravel close to the wall to let 
water head to the drain--earth farther away.  then he switched to cordwood 
masonry from there up.  You could do cob.

I've read of some all-wood foundations.  Not sure if they would be any 
better than concrete--or surface bonded block--for this purpose.

And he doesn't mention it, but if you had a hill back of you that showed 
signs of erosion, another retaining wall 10 feet back would be good.  
Probably also complete with ways to channel water.

what I didn't have in Honolulu in a tiny cottage backed up to--not in--a 
hill.  About once a year the back step would be covered with gravel that had 
come down the hill.  Since we didn't have a hurricane when I lived there, I 
was never faced with massive quantities of water coming hundreds of feet 
down the mountain.
...................

Can you build part of the house "in" the hill? Hopefully it is the north 
facing side. How do those earthship ppl do that?
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