[Cob] strawbale, geodesic domes, and igloos

[David Knowlton]

i agree. forgive me if i oversimplify.

my home is not an investment - appreciation of its value just costs me
more taxes. it is valuable to me because i  're' built it myself.

david


>From: "Marlin" <lightearth at onebox.com>
>To: dognyard at stockroom.ca,coblist at deatech.com
>Subject: RE: Re: [Cob] strawbale, geodesic domes, and igloos
>Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 13:58:27 -0400
>
>The state of Natural Building is varied...some are professionals and many 
>are learning individuals. Agree that depending on 'professionals' doesn't 
>guarantee that you get what you want, but does guarantee that you'll need a 
>good deal of money = time, in a different way.
>
>If  the only way that people can build is to do it themselves then it makes 
>sense to do as much education and sharing of labor and info as possible. 
>Thought that was what the Coblist was all about?
>
>I wonder how much of a disaster or disappointment is likely when people 
>learn from working on someone else's project (and making a few mistakes 
>themselves) and thereby understand (again) many intuitive things about 
>building that we knew even as kids?
>
>                        vs.
>
>How much empowerment and sense of belonging here on Earth are gained by 
>building with your own hands, in a style that makes sense for your climate 
>and technical skill level. It's important to be realistic about 
>both...........
>
>WRapup: I think there's ways to build a good solid building that requires 
>fairly low technical skill levels (and associated expensive machinery) and 
>are good for the Earth's future inhabitants. Strawbale might not be for 
>everyone and there's def. a misunderstanding out there in the public about 
>the realities of getting a house made that looks like their favorite coffee 
>table book. But there's NO reason, with local straw, clay, rock, timbers 
>(and in our case urban waste materials) that a group of semi skilled (or 
>uneducated but trained) folks couldn't get together and build a structure 
>that will OUTLAST many 'professional' homes - not too mention their toxic 
>characteristics.
>
>
>Marlin Nissen
>
>
>            info at outtathebox.org
>            www.outtathebox.org
>"There are solutions to the major problems of our time, some of them even 
>simple. But they require a radical shift in our perceptions, our thinking, 
>and our values."
>    - [Fritjof Capra]
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:     Dognyard <dognyard at stockroom.ca>
>Sent:     Fri, 23 Jul 2004 11:14:31 -0600
>To:       coblist at deatech.com
>Subject:  Re: [Cob] strawbale, geodesic domes, and igloos
>
>
>
>GlobalCirclenet wrote:
> >
> > For non-builders to play around with alternative methods and
> > materials is inviting disappointment or disaster, and those pushing 
>these
> > alternatives without the drawbacks aren't helping the cause of
> > sustainability and energy efficiency.
>
>Oh! Oh!
>
>I beg to differ. What you are calling non-builders, I will, for the
>moment call inexperienced builders. And an inexperienced builder is only
>that for a short time :-). I am, somewhat, an inexpereinced builder, but
>that sure doesn't deter me from learning to do something myself and to
>avoid depending on expensive alternatives. Building a house is technical
>to a degree, but it isn't rocket science. It can be learned fairly
>easily - either hands on (seminars, etc.), or with lots of reading and
>research - IF, one is amenable to learning to do it correctly.
>
>When it comes to plastering, though, it is even less technical. There
>are things you need to know to do it correctly, but to me it is more
>artistic than technical - especially when it comes to the finishing layers.
>
>So owner-built homes may not be for everyone, and some people may indeed
>not be capable of learning to do it well enough to pass codes, etc., but
>I do believe that MOST people are entirely capable. And even those who
>cannot learn, are more likely too stubborn to listen to good advice and
>follow it, and not incapable of learning at all.
>
>See, I have a tendency to go against the popular opinion that "the
>masses" area an uneducated lot. On the contrary, they are smart enough
>to want to build their own homes and not be in debt for the rest of
>their lives, then they are smart enough to learn how to plaster a wall 
>correctly.
>
>Oh...and depending on "professionals" if you happen to have the money to
>do so, is certainly no guarantee a job is done properly. If I do
>something wrong, I have no one to blame but myself, and I just get busy
>and fix it. If someone else messes it up, then I have to waste good time
>and energy in chasing them to try and get it rectified - often to no
>avail. I have way more confidence in myself than I do in any stranger.
>
>I am just now FINALLY getting do something in cob! (YAY ME!). I am
>building a pump house (stick built from scavenged material - so far it
>has cost me about $18 and I think I have to go buy a bit of plywood, so
>maybe another $50 all together), and along one wall, I have put in a
>stone foundation and will be building, essentially, a garden wall. It is
>not part of the pump house itself, but will lean up against it. So I
>will get to play with some finishing on that wall, including the finer
>earthen plasters as I finish it.
>
>Karen in Alberta
>
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