Cob: Formal Proposal

[Vicki Wicker]

Pack,
I've written grant proposals. Usually when you apply for grants, they have
specific information that they want you to provide as well as how long they
want it, etc. etc. If the fellow you are working with is going to send this
in to a higher-up organization, I'd strongly advise getting the grant
guidelines as I suspect they simply toss the ones that don't fit protocol.
If you're just doing it for him, ask him what he wants, to what extent of
detail.
As for your camp, my husband and I are in the same process. We are
developing an organic berry farm on 22 acres on some pretty land in the
Ozarks. We live there as well. We are wanting to build cabins so that
families or small groups can come and stay at the farm. I have been
researching for a long while now the most practical and affordable way to
get our cabins built. As for $500 each, I think that's unrealistic in your
situation because when you are building something for public use like that,
I think you will have to meet more strict standards than you would with
building a home for your own use. Also, it might be possible to build one
shelter for that price by scavaging around and using used materials, etc.
but I would suspect the park management will want something that is going
to be more uniform and more "builder grade". Don't price it too low. They
have money to use for things like this. It is better to come up with a plan
for really high class extravagant stuff and then scale back from there. Or
to write up several levels of expense. I.E. here's the $10,000 cabin,
here's the $5000 cabin, here's the one for $1200. Many of our state parks
have cabins. If you can find our what the cost of other cabins were in your
state parks, that would give you a good ball park price to try to compete
with.
Also, another way you can cut costs is to only hire labor for the
essential, specialized work (like an electrician to put in the panel boxes)
and use workshops to get the grunt work done. You can charge for the
workshops to offset the costs of the materials. You might also look into
your area colleges. Many have service learning programs and students would
come as part of a class or club, such as ecology, sociology or
architectural. Agriculture programs also have courses in construction. You
might also get your electrical and plumbing work done through a school.
Hope these suggestions are helpful.
Also find out if they're expecting your costs to include septic, water and
electricity services.

At 09:19 AM 10/26/01 -0700, Pack McKibben wrote:
>Pack McKibben
>Northeast Georgia
>
>Subject: Proposal
>I need help putting together a Formal Proposal for
>design and construction of six Natural Built shelters
>to be used by campers in a Campground setting.  One
>Cob, Cordwood, Strawbale, Wattle & Daub, Clay Slip,
>and Papercrete Shelter.  Each to be approximately 10’
>x 10’ x 8’ in size, with roof, one door, and three
>windows.  The proposal will also include labor and
>materials.
>
>My Background:
>I’ve become interested in alternative building within
>the last year and a half.  I’ve taken one workshop
>with Cob Cottage Company on basic cob construction.  I
>plan on taking a cordwood construction workshop in the
>spring.  I’ve been reading and doing research on the
>internet about sustainable living, passive solar
>design and other green/natural building techniques
>that include cob, cordwood, clay slip, wattle and
>daub, Papercrete, and earthship design.  I’d call
>myself a neophyte.  All book learning and not much
>hands on experience.  All this interest and research
>because I’ve had a vision of finding land and building
>a natural built home.  I’m still looking for the land.
> If and when I do find land,   I figured I could build
>small shelters as a way to learn the craft, experiment
>
>with different techniques, and then, MAYBE:
>1).  Be able to rent them out as a way to make a
>living, or
>2).  Have a place for natural build workshops, and/or
>3).  Be able to build a Campground/Natural
>Build/Education Center 
>
>Here’s my Problem:
>After looking and pricing land I realized I have the
>budget for a few acres but the project requires a lot
>more.  Zoning is also a problem, but I wont go there
>right now.  So I went to plan “B”.  Which is finding
>someone to let me use their property to build my
>natural built shelters (thanks for the idea Ianto). 
>To try to make a long story short, I came across a
>Director of a local State Park who told me about their
>pending expansion of their campground.  From six to
>over three hundred acres!  I told him about my idea of
>a community campground – sustainable living concept
>and he REALY liked the idea!  So much so that he wants
>me to give him a formal proposal.  It needs to include
>the type of shelter to be constructed, how long each
>would take to be constructed, and an estimated cost of
>materials.  I presume all this so he can figure a
>cost/payback ratio.  I’m WAY over my head in this
>situation.  I’ve NEVER done a proposal.  I feel I can
>handle the community campground portion of the
>proposal.  I need help with the shelter construction
>details (labor and materials).
>
>Solution:
>I need a BUNCH of help!  I do have passion and desire.
> And I’ve learned over the years that as long as you
>have an open mind and a clear, focused goal, anything
>is possible!  So here’s what I need (and I need it as
>soon as possible) from all those who can help:
>PROPOSALS: If anyone has done a proposal for a grant. 
>This type proposal would probably fit my need.  I know
>some people have been building at schools as a project
>for students to learn Natural building (etc.).  If a
>proposal was required, I sure would like to see one.
>
>LABOR:  An idea of how long it takes to build a
>shelter of Cob, Cordwood, Strawbale, Papercrete, ETC. 
>should be based on how long it takes two workers
>To build a 10’x 10’ x 8’ shelter, with roof, one door
>and three windows.
>
>MATERIALS:  Total materials list:  Timber, Lumber,
>infill, tonnage, volume, etc.  Everything it takes to
>build a Cob, Cordwood, etc. shelter/building based on
>the same labor benchmarked building requirements.
>
>TOTAL COST:  I hope each shelter can be built for lass
>than $ 500.00 for total labor and matericals.  What do
>you think?  Can this be done?  Is this realistic?
>
>SPECIFICATIONS: Drawings of shelters/buildings, Views:
>Front, Side, Top;
>measurements, details.  I realize this info may be few
>and far between.
>
>PICTURES: of any small shelters/buildings you’ve
>built.  Cob, Cordwood, Strawbale, Papercrete, Wattle &
>Daub, Clay Slip, ETC.
>Any I use as examples for my proposal will be credited
>to 
>the sender and/or builder.
>
>FORGOT:  Things I’ve left out!  If I leave it out it’s
>because I don’t know it.  So tell me if there’s more I
>need to include.
>
>GROUP:  Anyone who knows how to help me set up a
>discussion group for this specific proposal.  I don’t
>want to over tax on-going post that are more subject
>oriented.  My plan is to post this ONE message on each
>Cob, Cordwood, Strawbale, and Papercrete (and
>any/others you think might be appropriate) Group/List
>and ask for anyone interested in helping, to use
>direct email to me, or to use the NEW proposal group
>for future post (if I figure out how to set one up).
>
>
>*******  	I’ll provide a URL to the group (in the near
>future) so any interested persons, contributing
>parties, and/or individuals who want to learn about
>Natural Building, can read the in-progress proposal 
>*******
>
>Thanks for any help

>
>I hope everyones help will not go for naught

>
>
>
>=====
>Pack McKibben
>gakayaker at yahoo.com
>
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