Announcing our Tiny Cob Building Design Project

With the surge of interested in cob and natural building techniques that has come largely form the Palisade and Eaton fires, it is increasingly important to share information, resources, and plans that encourage safe building practices in our high seismic zones and fire prone area.

This project aims to create clear, easy to follow, open source plans, for a 120 sq foot cob structure.

We have learned a lot of over the past several years of seismic and fire testing, all of which has been incorporated into the cob building code, and though it is explained in depth in Cob Construction, it is still a bit inaccessible for the average person embarking on building a little cob shed in their yard.  The goal of this project is to create a basic plan that incorporates the engineering information we now have with in depth fire safe detailing that someone could follow and build themselves.  The goal is to create a basic plan that could have a few alterations such as exact window locations, options for foundations, etc… Another benefit of this project would be to actually use some of the recommendations that are outlined in the code and see how they work in actuality, and if any changes are needed to the code.   

Another facet of this project is the idea of these small earths structures being used as fire safe bunkers if and when they are needed, either for storing belongings in a fire safe place, or in worst case scenario, a place for people to be protected form a fire if they are not able to evacuate.  There is a tradition in Japan of building fire-proof store houses called Kuras.  

This photo depicts ‘Kuras’, Japanese store houses built of earth.  They are the only buildings left standing after the Great Kita Fire, in Osaka in 1909

Phase 2: 

A long term phase 2 part to this project is the actual building of one of these prototype buildings in a public place.  This would also incorporate an educational component to accompany the design. 

Starting with small demonstration buildings (that are under the legal limit so don't require a building permit in most jurisdictions) will help ease the way for larger scale projects to be more accessible for people with less economic access.

The training and educational materials would help build a bridge between policy makers, the public, and the construction industry on best practices for earthen buildings and structures.

This project is a collaboration between Earthen Shelter, Quail Springs, and the Cob Research institute.