[Cob] Re: Cob code

[john fordice]

Carrie,
on 6/19/06 12:42 AM, hms.mommy at juno.com at hms.mommy at juno.com wrote:


> Well, let me just ask a few questions:
> 
> Have you tried approaching any agencies that fund research to see if they
> would be interested in a cob project?

I wrote the COB CODE PROJECT proposal in 1996, see:
http://www.deatech.com/natural/cobinfo/cobcode.html

Shortly after that I researched a budget for the project to dothe testing at
the UCBerkely Earthquake Research Center in Richmond, Ca.  The projected
budget at that time was $500,000 and approximatly two years work.  Since
then I estimate the $ cost to have roughly doubled, hence the $1,000,000
figure.  The time commitment will still be about two years.

After doing the budget I looked into funding, but it became clear very
quickley that for me to find funding was not going to work for two reasons:
1. I'm not a fund raiser & not suited for it in neither temperment, nor
knowledge.
2.  The energy required to find funding requires time which I do not have.

So, no, othere than one frustrating attempt to intrest the Tides
Foundation,I have not approached any other potential funders.
> 
> If we could find such an agency, are you qualified to write the grant
> request or set up the project?

Yes, I'm quite willing to write a grant request if it stands a chance of
success.  Hoever, time is still a major factor & I've envisioned a scenario
where a small funder provides some initial seed funding to support the
needed search for the BIG funding needed.
> 
> Do you know of any other people who are so qualified, who could work with
> you?

No,  I have an agreement with a Berkeley Ecological non-profit group to
provide a 501c-3 nonprofit umbrella for the funding search, but that's as
far as I've gone.  I keep praying for someone who KNOWS funding & who sees
the value in Cob, who will step into this Gordian Knot & help solve it.
> 
> Do you know of any such agencies, or would we be starting from scratch?
> In this age of interest in ecology, I would think there must be someone
> out there who would be interested in funding a modest project.  The
> likelihood of this is greater today in 2006 than it was even ten years
> ago.  ($1mil. is not really that big of a project; are you confident that
> this is a good ballpark estimate, or could the numbers easily double and
> triple when you start adding up the details?)

I suspect it needs to start from scratch.  What & who ever the potential
funders may be needs to be identified & this is one of the critical tasks
needing a funder who is willing to comeup with the devotional energy in
support of makinc cob accessible.
> 
> When you talk about a "cob code," do you mean that cob would be part of
> the international lexicon of acceptable building practices?  Or would it
> be an independent document which would then have to be approved by
> individual local building agencies?

Yes, I envision a dedicated Cob Ssection of accepted building codes in the
USA .  This was the Uniform Building Code (UBC), but this is changing & is
soon to be replaced by the International Building Code (IBC).
> 
> I'm interested in whatever I can do to help make cob a permanent part of
> the building vocabulary, so that anyone in the US and other places can
> get a permit to build with cob as easily as with any other material.

Yes, the goal is to make obtaining a building permit for a cob structure as
simple and straight forward as any other building material.  To make cob
accessible to all who wish to build with it.

If you wish to help in the search for funding, that would be a wonderful
thing.  Is this something you have the skills, energy & time to do?

Thanks for your reply!!!

john fordice