Has anyone ever built a "Cob" house in TB? Here, on the West Coast of Canada, there are several workshops on building these beautiful, inexpensive houses. They are made in ancient ways using what Mother Earth provides, for a fraction of the cost of traditional homes. My imagination goes wild thinking of the possibilities...

Do you have any links to info on Cob houses?

I found these Eric

http://www.daycreek.com/dc/HTML/DC_cob.htm
http://www.cobworks.com/

Pretty neat idea.

What type of material is used to build these houses?

The cobhouse is built out of clay,sand and straw-all what mother nature has to over.the only problem is the building permit-but i think with some"traditional supports"for the the walls,you can handle it.The roof must be with a wide overhang to protect the walls against the elements.There are some cobhouses standing 500 years-without/ building permit
would like to see this comming up
axel

If you Google Cob Houses , it takes you to a link of about 400 photos. If you Google cobworks.com it takes you to Mayne Island, B.C., which has a 2 week workshop I intend to participate in next summer.
The paint itself is a fabulous natural creation. Using hemp fibre adds a whole other Mesopotamian aspect. Wow.
Utilizing local natural resources, these methods use a fraction of the usual amount of concrete!! Houses for the Poor would definately benefit from this info.as would many people I have met in TB. Very Exciting,good for the planet, economical, functional and beautiful.{ and side-steps the concrete cartel}!

I suppose these are similar to the Wattle and Daub houses. TB people have longed passed this stage, from our Grandparents time - we are a proud and modern people - why should we go back - we are moving forward. Thanks anyhow for the suggestion. This idea would fit persons who want to do a villa.

This would never work in jamaica, due to the hurricanes, and high seas.

As 'Moving Upward' stated this is like Wattle and Daub and has survived years and years of hurricanes...much better than some of the concrete palaces I've seen. It's unfortunate that we Jamaican's think of Wattle and Daub as something to be ashamed of and that building in concrete means that we've moved up in society. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just because you build with Wattle and Daub doesn't mean you're not modern...it just means you are in tune with your resources and your environment. You can build a wattle and Daub house that is wired for internet, electricity, security and sound systems...all the so called 'modern' conveniences. I am very sad to see the old houses of Jamaica disappear to make way for very big, very unattractive concrete houses that have neither charm nor charachter but to each his own. We have 'arrived'!!!!!!!!!

It is great to be nostalgic but I will put safety first. There is time and place for everything, if what you guys are advocating holds,we will not be on this site, rememeber morse code telegraphs, IBM typewriters with ribbons, sleeping on a bare floor in the cave,Africans with chewing sticks to brush their teeth, and a host of other things that we do "just because".
I think, I just found out while some countries are call "Third World" and or is it developing countries. Why don't we dish our clothigns and and go around in our birthday suits.
Which of the building you are advocating can withstand hurrcane Andrew, Kathrina and the likes that packs 150 MPH winds. The flooding at Treasure Beach or Great Bay.
Let's be reasonable, Progress is not a bad word. Why go to church when you can worship idol and other ornaments, not that it is bad.Speaking or shall I say writing for myself, I think I will sleep better at night with the modern ammenities and structures. Yes, nothing is guarrantee in life but we all pick over battles to fight,what is good for geese, may not be too good for gander. Just a thought. Everyman for him or her self.

Actually, wattle-and-daub architecture -- with all the mod cons inside -- is not that far-fetched in Jamaica. It even has roots here. During the post-Buckminster Fuller 'dome houses' and hippie experiments with yurts in late 1970s, there was a populist, Manley-inspired movement on island for low-cost housing. Jamaican architect Robert Johnson led the movement, and his wattle-and-daub houses at PEARL BAY, outside Ochie --- smack dab right on the oceanfront -- are still standing, have survived the elements, and are in fine fettle and use, right down to the flush toilets
and modern kitchens inside. And the ability to
add Wifi or whatever 'essential' tech baggage one needs.

Cedella Marley, not necessarily known for her aversion to modern amenities, is a long-time visitor to Johnson's houses, which are an education in themselves, as they feature framed
architectural/construction details and comments from the architect in many of the rooms. In
Boston Bay, where constant rain is no stranger,
another architectural concept is continually expanding at GREAT HUTS. Besides a two-story
bamboo house where every mod con is sculpted
into the architecture, there are elaborate Moroccan-style leather tents which seem impervious
to the elements. If you have a vision -- and
the money to support it -- the risk building
anything in Jamaica is always considerable. So
why not build your dream house just the way
you want, with or without the rebar.

tivertonhouse thanks for stepping up to the plate on this!! small minds will never see the BIG PICTURE!!! history tells all!!

Some of the original portion of Shakespeare Cottage Main House is Wattle and Daub. Some people believe the building is about a hundred years and it withstood Ivan.

Then you'll go ahead and do the dang tang then!! Build your houses on the water front. I can a sure no smart Jamaican will follow you.

I'm Jamaican and I will be following right behind and I have a degree in Engineering....

I guess I'm architecturally challanged, cuz I've never heard of any of this stuff before. =) Tiv, how do ya think a wattle and daub house would fare though a freezing New England winter? Can ya equip it with some sort of heating mechanism? Wood stove? Oil, gas, or electric? Has the durability of a thatch roof ever been tried out in the snow belt? =)

Wattle-and-daub is wall construction and doesn't
involve thatching the roof which could be tin with solar panels and a cachement system for grey water. The building technique is not suited for temp zones 6 and lower. Finding a thatcher is exceedingly difficult in US -- and exceedingly expensive. Berm houses are far more suited
to New England/have a biogeneticist friend who lives in one she designed 30 years ago -- cost-effectively, with a greenhouse, all mod cons and every tech toy known to man. There have been
low-cost housing experiments with packed straw, but only in US South.

There is a gallery of photos on www.cobcottage.com
The New Zealand mansion is a far cry from a mud hut!
The website also has alot of other info as well as a variety of pictures.

I am very intrested in these cob homes,can anyone say how much mph wind these homes can withstand,and if it can stand heavy water pressure,these houses are very beautiful,my grandfather house was made from lime stone and it survived a lot of hurricane,wattle-and-daub houses have been around for hundreds of years, i never here anyone say our grandparents,greatgran get kill in a wattle-and daub house during hurricand.

I checked out that website. Fascinating and for all those who think that this type of building doesn't have longevity and can't withstand the elements, it is interesting to note that the house in England was dated 1539. I wonder if our beloved cement would last as long. So...go build with your concrete...maybe your grandparents were smarter than you think with their wattle and daub.

It is recommended that cobb house roofs be built with large overhanging eaves to keep water off (thatch is a good choice for that reason) and should not be built in areas prone to flooding. A properly built foundation is key to keeping water from undermining construction. If the house is built according to the guidelines found on the internet websites mentioned above, it can withstand extreme wind speeds and last for hundreds of years. Often times the "old fashioned" way of doing things is truly the least expensive and smartest way.

quite often we redicule the old ways, but if we stop to think, some of the world greatest achievements were accomplished without computers, using the oldways
the brooklyn bridge, the george washington bridge,
the empire state building and this is just recent history compared to far antiquity, the pyramids for example, it is estimated that at current rate of deterioration the pyramids will still be identifyable as man made structures in 20,000 years. beat that concrete and steel !!!
wattle and daub or cob house away my friend !!