[Humanpowered] Q&A about Fast Cob! and our Natural Building Workshops
Dave Olsen
cob at lasqueti.ca
Mon Mar 30 17:55:53 PDT 2015
(This can also be read - with photos and video - at cob.lasqueti.ca/blog
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/blog>and you are welcome to forward this widely. Thanks,
Dave)
All your questions and supportive comments have kept me busy (and keep 'em
coming!)...I really appreciate how you let me know what helps and inspires you!
*That's my #1 goal: create more cobbers; produce less climate changers!**
****
*For those that haven't had the time to send me your thoughts and questions,
here's an email that I hope resolves most of what you've been wondering.
This is a compilation of what I've fielded so far, in hopes that it includes the
questions on your list:
*Q: Why do you call it Fast Cob/what's so fast about your cob?*
A: Fast Cob! is noticeably and measurably faster than the cob technique I
learned in 1996 and that is still widely used throughout North America. Some
folks have mechanized cob (with mortar mixers, bobcats, etc), but I haven't got
a sense of what they are capable of yet. I do know, through my own measurements
and comparisons, that Fast Cob! is 10x faster to mix than regular cob and up to
30x faster to put on a wall...you can see for yourself here
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/join-our-mailing-listaccess-our-training-videos.html>
*Q: What can I build with Fast Cob!*
A: Virtually anything that has a roof and a foundation. If you don't care about
longevity, then anything at all, that you don't want to move. Cob is not
portable, so trailers or movable ovens aren't recommended, but homes, offices,
studios, ovens, sheds, outbuildings, garages, storage boxes, you dream it and we
can cob it.
*Q: How much does it cost to build a cob building?*
A: It depends on the size and complexity (as every building technique does), but
generally speaking, it's half the price of conventional (timber-frame)
building. If you do everything yourself, it can cost in the hundreds. More
realistic DIY cost would be $10-20/sq.ft. A detailed break-down of the costs of
building a 400 sq.ft. home with Fast Cob! can be found here
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/blog/build-your-dream-and-live-debt-free>.
*Q: How fast can I build something?*
A: My first building is a 9' in diameter utility shed with a sleeping loft.
With the old method, we guessed that it would be built in 6 days by 6 people.
Wrong. Add another 2 days with 8 people and we still didn't finish. Add
another 6 days with 10 people and we still didn't finish.
Then, with Fast Cob!, I finished the loft by myself over two weekends.
Now, I've enhanced our Fast Cob! technique to the point that I can build a 400
sq ft, 1 bedroom cabin in a month, including the foundation and metal roof,
working 6-day weeks, 7 hours/day. I can easily build 5 cu.ft. of upper wall in
an hour; with Super-Fast Cob! that doubles but is only possible at the base of
walls. Our 400 sq.ft cabin example has 80 linear feet of 1 foot thick exterior
wall that ranges from 7' to 12' high. That's 560 cu.ft for the lower 7'
portion, plus another 100 cu.ft. of cob plus windows and doors. So 660 cu.ft of
cob will be built in 660/5 = 132 hours or 19 7hr-person-days.
Compare this to years - yes, years - with regular cob and any other natural
building technique that I'm aware of.
Obviously people new to Fast Cob! will initially take longer to build a
structure, but I know younger, stronger folks will easily outpace my numbers.
*Q: How many people can attend each workshop?*
A: I limit the number of participants to 6. Before I started instructing, we
hosted groups of 10 and 8 and both times I felt like some people left with fewer
skills than they would have with less people present.
These workshops are designed to ensure you have the maximum exposure to
everything you need to be able to walk away and start building on your own. If
you have special needs or simply want to focus on a particular aspect of
building, just let me know and I'll make sure you are matched with the workshop
that will support those needs and focus best.
Before the advent of Fast Cob!, I hosted workshops so I could build. Now that I
can and do build on my own - thanks to Fast Cob! - I host workshops to spread
the ease of joy of Natural Building. These workshops are geared first and
foremost to give you the skills you need to start building on /your/ own.
*Q: Can children attend workshops?*
A: Absolutely, YES. Women and families are especially encouraged to apply.
Fast Cob! is safe and fun for all ages, genders, and orientations. Last year,
our ages ranged from 9 to 68, while previous years saw 4, 6, and 8 year olds
having the time of their lives. No matter what your age, you're welcome at our
workshops...
*
*
*Q: I have a special diet; can you accommodate me?
*A: Absolutely. We regularly host participants that range from gluten-free to
allergic to specific foods. Just let us know when you apply so we can be sure
to create a menu that is delicious and nutritious for you.
*Q: Do I need to bring a bike to the workshop?
*A: No, but bringing one makes it easier to get from the ferry to the workshop
site, and it also enables you to come along for our evening Tour de Cob. If
biking simply doesn't work for you, I can often offer a ride with our tandem and
certainly carry some of your things in our bike trailer.
*Q: Are there many tools needed to get started?*
A: No. The entire kit can be found or purchased used (at garage sales, thrift
stores and the like) and purchased new would cost a few hundred. We're talking
about a wheelbarrow, garden hose, sprayer nozzle, 10-20 tarps (one larger can be
cut into many smaller), shovel, level, used hand saw, garden spade, rubber boots
and maybe some knee pads.
I will send you a complete list of what to bring and expect after you apply and
confirm your spot in one of our workshops.
*Q: When are your workshops?*
A: All of our workshops start on Saturday afternoon (with a Welcome Dinner) and
end the following Saturday morning (with a Farewell Breakfast). The specific
dates of our 2015 workshops are:
* May 9-16, 2015
* June 6-13, 2015
* July 4-11, 2015
* August 1-8, 2015
* August 15-22, 2015
You can read all the details of what our workshops offer, right here
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/workshops.html>.
*Q: Is camping the only option for your workshops?*
A: Not anymore. Camping is included in the workshop fee, but we also offer a
Guest (Cob) House and a Guest (Prospector) Tent for those wanting a real bed to
sleep on during the workshop. Just let us know when you apply so we can reserve
it just for you.
*Q: When does the Early Bird rate end?*
A: Midnight on *April 1, 2015*. After that our regular rate applies for any
spots that haven't been filled.
*
**If you've been wanting to build your dream but don't want to go into debt or
harm our planet any further, here's your chance to make that change!
*
Simply go to *cob.lasqueti.ca/workshops
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/workshops.html>*and fill in the form at the
bottom**.**I'll be in touch soon to help you on your way...
And really, don't delay. The workshops are filling up and I wouldn't want you
to miss out.
P.S. If you want to read how Fast Cob! prevents Climate Change, just click here
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/blog/debt-free-and-carbon-free-buildingcome-learn-how>.
To compare Fast Cob! with conventional building in terms of pollution and waste
creation, just click here
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/blog/help-the-planet-while-you-help-yourself>.
If you want read about the health benefits and how to sculpt beauty into your
own home, just click here
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/blog/beauty-and-health-from-the-ground-up>.
If you want to join us at one of our 2015 workshops, just click here!
<http://cob.lasqueti.ca/workshops.html>
--
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!
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