[Humanpowered] Beauty and Health from the ground up

[Dave Olsen]

(This can also be read at cob.lasqueti.ca/blog <http://cob.lasqueti.ca/blog> and 
you are welcome to forward this widely.  Thanks, Dave)

In my first message to you, I showed you with real numbers how it is possible to 
build your dream home and NOT go into debt, costing out a 400 sq ft, 1 bedroom 
cabin for less than $4,000, or about a few short months of rent.

In my last message, I explained how building with Fast Cob! doesn't harm the 
planet and even helps to heal it.

If you missed one or both, feel free to check them out here: 
cob.lasqueti.ca/blog <http://cob.lasqueti.ca/blog>

This time I want to get personal with you and talk about Health and Beauty.  Not 
yours or mine, but our buildings.

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but health is either there or not.

One of the things that makes Fast Cob! buildings so healthy to live in is that 
they breath.  Air and moisture can flow through the walls, although you'd never 
notice or even guess that it could. This prevents mold and mildew and stale air 
from taking over your home and making it - and you - sick.

Vapour barriers trap air and moisture, and without expensive ventilation 
systems, make your home sick with stale air.  Until Sick Home Syndrome was 
"discovered", many humans got sick and didn't know why.  I won't speculate about 
what hasn't been discovered yet, but I do know that I feel much more alive and 
well in my cob home than in other folk's non-natural homes.

Another aspect of well-being comes from sound, or rather the lack of it when 
we're in our cob home.  Constant background noise exhausts our nervous system, 
even if we unconsciously block it out.  Fast Cob! buildings are well suited as 
sound studios because they naturally dampen sound inside and prevent most sounds 
outside from getting in.

And there is a natural quality to being surrounded by the earth.  It likely 
reduces our exposure to unnatural energy fields (wi-fi, radio, tv, cell, etc), 
but I don't know since I live in an area where these fields don't readily exist.

Do add FIREPROOF to our growing list of health benefits, and note the capital 
letters!  Being insect-proof and rodent-proof are even more health benefits.  
Shall we add the fact that multiple generations can live comfortably in the same 
home without the stress of building or even renovation?  By simply keeping the 
roof from leaking, your cob home will serve from 4 to 14 generations of 
descendents of yours.

But what about Beauty?  With cob, you can sculpt beauty into any surface.  And 
the natural curves in this man's eye are simply gorgeous.  There's nothing 
stopping you from spending the rest of your life adding reliefs and ornate 
decorations in every nook and cranny of your home.  You won't need to work from 
9-5 to pay a mortgage or rent any more, so why not?  Or just let the kids carve 
and plaster their walls over and over again.  It's perfectly safe! The 
possibilities are simply endless.

I truly hope that you now see Natural Building and Fast Cob! in a very different 
light.  And I hope you've become inspired to take that next step and create your 
own Dream Home.  The planet needs you!!

Really.  If you've made it this far in these messages, you're clearly dreaming 
of building your own home.  When will you take that next step and turn your 
dream into reality?  Next year?  In 10 years?  Why not now!

I hemmed and hawed before I finally committed to my first and only cob workshop 
back in 1996.  It was so far (Bella Coola) to get to but my partner at the time 
said the workshop fee was nothing compared to what I would gain from doing it.  
And she was right!

Instead of putting it off, get outside and start building. Anything.  Just start 
and you'll be amazed at where it leads.

I've tried hard to give you as much as I can in this message format to start you 
on your way.  Of course, some folks will want more guidance and inspiration than 
these messages can offer, so I want you to also know that I host week-long 
intensive Workshops and month-long immersive Apprenticeships at our home on 
Lasqueti for deeper experiences of Natural Building and Living.

Our Apprenticeship Programme has blossomed over the past two years, with younger 
people coming and finding the inspiration that seemed to be lacking in their 
lives before.  It's a fun, fulfilling time for all involved, even the parents!

Our Workshops are always magical weeks, when a small group (max. 6) starts to 
transform their dreams into a reality that will last centuries!

Next time, I'll send you more information about the Apprenticeship programmes, 
including the words of gratitude and hope that were sent to me after these 
wonderful young people left with enhanced life-affirming skills that will serve 
them well for the rest of their lives.

For those that prefer a week-long intensive workshop...just hang tight because 
I'm putting together an irresistible offer just for you!

Spring is in the air here, so it's time to get out and Fast Cob! Type to you soon...
-- 


Dave Olsen

web: cob.lasqueti.ca 
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/join-our-mailing-list-for-free-access-to-our-training-videos.html>email: 
cob at lasqueti.ca <mailto:cob at lasqueti.ca>phone: 877.873.1797 or 604.216.6700


Build your dream...easier, faster, and more affordably with Cob!


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/humanpowered/attachments/20150313/b270e5d4/attachment.html>