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

[Amanda Peck]

Check out Mike Oehler's $50 and up Underground Home book, maybe even some of 
his videos.

http://www.undergroundhousing.com/

I do know someone on another list who has used Mike's ideas in conjunction 
with cob and rammed earth.  He's very happy with the results.  But his place 
is a lot bigger than 200 sf.

Mike has done a lot of work with figuring loads and support, and very 
important, daylighting.   He does use polyethylene.  Keeping moisture away 
from your shoring timbers, out of your walls is crucial.  (I understand that 
this does mean that you are best off USING your underground sections, 
heating the space in winter, for instance).

Apparently 200sf is a really good sized apartment in Tokyo, even for a 
family.  You get there, I'm told, by not having so much FURNITURE and 
different rooms for different purposes--kitchen, dining, living, bed, all 
different.  For instance, an apartment there would not likely have permanent 
bedrooms, just jold up the tables and chairs and roll out the futons.  That 
might even give you enough almost enough storage without being a minimalist 
fanatic.  (can you ever have enough room for books?  I don't think so!)


.............
Thomas Gorman wrote (snipped):
I'm interested to hear about cob/below grade construction ideas too.   I 
suspect the problem is likely to be with proper drainage, and also  that 
there may not be a lot of info/experience with such building  because 
digging down so deep would probably require machines that a  lot of natural 
builders try to avoid as well as more significantly  'impacting' the 
environment the house is in.  You'd also have to  really insulate the 
below-grade walls and probably with non-natural  materials to withstand the 
damp.  On the other hand, you'd get some  of the thermally regulating 
effects of underground houses.