Back in March when I went to EPIC, I was taken away by the concept of Cob houses. When I mentioned how interested I was in these marvelous homes, a few of my friends turned their noses up at the idea, as though I was pitching some sort of brand new "Urban Hippy" idea to them. Well, in reality, Cob houses have been around for thousands of years, and structures built out of Cob today have the capability of being magnificent, if not elegant. They are also far more economical and environmentally friendly than the cookie-cutter homes being pumped out today. The group at EPIC that was holding demonstrations on how to build your own Cob home is called MOBY and is located on Commercial Drive. Of course, another amazing group of people in East Vancouver doing great things for their community! In addition to involving themselves with the wonder that is Cobbing, their bigger project is creating gardens in spaces that would otherwise be garbage-filled urban areas! You should check out their group at their website:
The process of building a Cob home is so much more personal than building a mainstream, run-of-the-mill, modern home... if you build your own Cob home, you really put yourself into it. You mash it down with your bare feet and hands, you feel the earth that you will be living within, and you form and mold your own walls and floors like they are a giant sculpture. There thought of this seems so romantic to me, and not only that, Cob homes are so much more environmentally friendly. On top of all this, building a Cob home is a community affair. A person can't just go out and say "I want to learn to build every part of a house," because it would be impossible. The person would have to learn carpentry, electric, plumbing, how to install carpets, etc, etc. But with Cob houses, there are fewer steps, and the steps there are, are easier to perfect. When a person wants to build a Cobb home, they take a thorough course that is sometimes just two weeks long. They then find another family that is building their own Cob home, and assist that family in building their home. That family later returns the favor, sort of under the concept of "paying it forward."
So when I got home, I started researching where I could learn to build a Cob house. I stumbled upon the website of the Lasqueti Mud Girls. The site reeled me in immediately... the programs they have are extremely fairly priced for what you get: a vacation, food, comradery, and skills that you will have forever and will be able to use to create lasting structures.
This outhouse from their photo slideshow, for example, SOLD ME on the Lasqueti Mud Girls:
This summer I am SADLY booked solid with volunteering obligations, but I am probably going to sign up for a fall course. Their first course starts on June 18th, 2007, and their last course starts September 3rd, 2007. For entire summer event lineup, follow this link:
Their main website is at this next link, and you can choose between high and low bandwidth:
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