why rising earth?

The title of this blog draws from my time as an apprentice at the Cob Cottage Company in costal Oregon. If you spend time with natural building folk, you'll eventually find yourself around a fire, sing silly songs about cob and natural building. Folks usually refer to these oftentimes improvised tunes as "cobsongs". I often sang..."There is a house in old coquille, they call the rising earth, it's been the work of many hands, and you know what that's worth..."

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Barn Loft Apartment


Here is the apartment I built in the attic of the house at the Vague Estates. This house seems to have started its life as a barn, and this was the hay loft, a dirty unfinished place with lots of potential.

John, the owner/architect designed a high energy efficiency approach. Foam insulation in walls/roof and careful air sealing around windows and doors have produced a very tight, comfortable space. 

I introduced a natural building touch, with a lime-sand finish plaster on the gable and knee walls. I'm happy we did, it contrasts nicely with the vast area of ceiling. I think the space turned out great!