Loved the Hobbity House...

Down on our wee farmlet, we've been thinking about ways to add residential space at a low cost too, though under different circumstances. Yurts and straw-bale structures are attractive options, and we've had the chance to tour a couple of each in other Maine towns. It's amazing how cozy a yurt can be in the middle of winter--but we should expect no less of something designed in Mongolia!

We're leaning towards cob-- another traditional building method based on a clay slip/woodchip or straw combination which can be sourced locally and built--with the exception of the frame--by hand, in wheelbarrow-mixed batches. Cob has some advantages over straw bale, particularly a much higher resistance to insect/rodent infestation.

If you have the energy or interest to explore cob building methods/designs further (and it's alright if you don't) I can point you to a few. FoxMaple building school in Brownfield, Maine teaches workshops on cob and straw-bale construction and has demonstration buildings you can tour. You can also see some possibilities by doing a websearch on "cob building." There's also a fellow here in Pownal who has built a few cob houses. He's both realistic and enthusiastic about the material's properties and capabilities.

In the meantime, our prayers and blessings travel to you as you tend the gardens and sift through the ashen soil for more "house seeds."

--Cuilionn