Cob: RE: Insulation

[Kelly, Sean]

G'morning people of the mud...

So I have multiple questions...  I'll even separate them out for easy
response...

What is the northernmost cob structure folks know of in this country?
(Actually I am seeking knowledge of any built in snow  and cold
country...)  

How do they do for internal temp?  What insulation techniques were
necessary?  Is constant heating necessary in the winter?

How would aforementioned (a week ago?) double wall with an air space
between techniques work?  The air space should be a pretty good layer of
insulation, yah?  

Anyone done this?  What kind of wall thicknesses were used?  I imagine
it might have to be fairly large for stability of each wall - 1-2 feet
thick each?  And how much airspace?

Would packing the airspace with straw help or hinder?

You would have to ensure that there were no bridges between inner and
outer walls to preserve the insulation qualities of the airspace, right?
Would you build 2 free standing, non contacting walls and connect them
only through the roof?

New line of questioning...  How about covering the outside of a cob wall
(or structure) with a mosaic of tile?  A friend of mine is interested in
cob as a base for her mosaic art - monolithic structures covered in
tile, not necessarily an actual building, maybe a tower or something of
the sort.  Would this cause moisture problems?  Tile doesn't breathe too
well, and neither would the grout I imagine (a form of cement?).

OK enough for one message.  Just trying to get some pressing questions
answered and generate a little list traffic (been a bit slow the past
few days).  In case you are interested, I want to build a structure (or
perhaps even structures in the north-east somewhere (NY or New England),
but I have these nagging concerns that I will just end up building a
chilly vault (at least in the winter).  Also, anyone familiar with
building codes (or know where I could find them) for NY, VT, NH, or ME
and how they relate to Cob?  Thanks!

Sean