[Cob] Cob structures and "basements" or sunken floors

[Jon Kerr]

On Mar 4, 2006, at 4:21 AM, David Boyer wrote:

>  A way to get around the 10 foot roof height limit for a 2 story 
> structure would be to have the bottom floor be below ground level at 
> least 2 feet (3 feet would be better).
>    No cob construction literature I have read covers the subject 
> matter of below ground living space. No Cob workshop I have seen 
> offered has this topic on the agenda.
>     Why?
>    Does any one on the cob list have useful suggestions or practical 
> experience building the first floor below ground level using natural 
> building techniques?

I've been thinking when I build to use the underground too; the Hand 
Sculpted House talks a little bit about digging out the clay soil and 
building right there with that soil; I'd figured to build earth berms 
up around a partially-submerged structure but it wasn't ever clear if 
it was safe to just pile soil/topsoil up against cob walls or if you'd 
need some space around it.

Jon