Natural Building

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Comment by Alan LaBudde on September 17, 2012 at 2:00pm

uh   see

see alan labudde s  profile

he needs a guest room to work on so we can rent it to guests we invite for two weeks to half a year

c'mon every body   uh

I 'm lying   thats me Alan    hire me in lieu of rent on a room   but see profile and such and vandalism history    the rest is bullshit by  uh    le gang provacateeve    c'est veritas! mon freres ah  say see puedays aussie.....

Comment by Jonathan Hatcher on August 13, 2012 at 5:36pm

Last year I completed a natural building apprenticeship at the Ecovillage Training Center on The Farm in middle TN.  Since then I have worked at the ETC on multiple building projects.  My experience includes cobb, cordwood, straw bale, straw clay slip, living roofs, and natural plasters.  I am originally from Maryville and I continue to visit Knoxville regularly knowing I will eventually settle there.  I am available as skilled labor or to contribute to/put on workshops.  More importantly, if I don't know how to do it I probably know someone who does.  My only disclaimer is that I am not familiar with Knoxville's building codes.  So there's that...

Comment by Andrew Wynn on February 5, 2012 at 9:18am

Ok, as usual things take longer than anticipated. I am still very interested in this project and have started gathering supply for it. I am thinking that for this climate, for permanence, and ease of labor, a cord wood structure with a reciprocal roof would be preferable. I think that I will have all the material necessary for this by the summer. What I will need is someone else with building experience to get together with and make a general outline for a weekend workshop. Another interesting material to look into is mudcrete, it makes great floors, patios, steps, etc.

Comment by Andrew Wynn on August 6, 2011 at 2:11pm

great! I will draw up some basic plans and lists and get back with you after my move. On the subject though, I saw a barn available for recycling on knoxville craigslist, if it is still available when I get there it may provide some excellent aged oak barnwork for projects like this.

Comment by John & Kim Grubbs on August 6, 2011 at 1:35pm

We would definately be interested in a workshop too. S.b., cob, cordwood, earthbags etc. any or all of them!!

Comment by Jennifer A. Hoffman on August 6, 2011 at 1:00pm

I would be interested in such a workshop.

Comment by Andrew Wynn on August 6, 2011 at 12:47pm

Hi Billy, I remember you putting that straw bale up, I had a chance to walk through just after the walls were applied with stucco (i bought a VW from you) Glad to hear it is still a sound structure.

Comment by Andrew Wynn on August 6, 2011 at 11:58am

I am moving back to knoxville in a few weeks, and would love to put up a cob potting shed/pole barn soon after I get there. Looks like sometime in October would be perfect for me. I think cordwood would be a better choice for a home, but a garden shed would be perfect. Perhaps we could meet up and make a plan for this structure, and offer a workshop to make it happen. -Andrew Wynn

Comment by Billy Freeman on May 1, 2011 at 2:45pm

I built a straw bale structure 13 years ago and it is holding up nicely. There are many factors that contribute to the success or failure of SB in this area e.g. bales must be dry and stay dry, big eves help, properly applied stucco (there is a tendency to hurry--must keep moist during curing, good drainage around the structure, locate in a breezy/ridgetop like setting, etc. On the other hand, i built a strawbale bench and didn't follow any of my above advice and it composted within 8 years. But, it was just a bench. Billy

Comment by Dickson Petzold on April 27, 2011 at 1:43pm

I have no experience with cob. My experience with strawbale "deficiencies" may not be with the strawbale concept. Rather, it may be with poor maintenance of the stucco, as when it cracks or gets punctured it needs to be immediately sealed. Also, the roofs I have seen are poorly installed steel with inadequate slopes that have openings where blowing rain gets in. The roof and the stucco need skilled installation and responsible vigilance. I have seen neither of these at Narrow Ridge Center.

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