Cob
An old English word meaning "lump" or "rounded mass", cob is a building material consisting of clay-soil, sand, and a natural fiber. It is resistant to fire and seismic activity, retains heat, is load-bearing, long-lasting, sculpt-able, and inexpensive. If straw is added to the mix, it takes on cement & rebar-like properties!
PROJECTS: Cob in the Kitchen! - Madison, WI
Dharma Oven - Madison, WI
Cattail Cove Oven - Belleville, WI
Cob Oven - Gresham, OR
Salmon Gazebo - Portland, OR
Cob Oven - Verona, WI
PROJECTS: Cob in the Kitchen! - Madison, WI
Dharma Oven - Madison, WI
Cattail Cove Oven - Belleville, WI
Cob Oven - Gresham, OR
Salmon Gazebo - Portland, OR
Cob Oven - Verona, WI
Cob in the Kitchen! July 2013
Sherman Middle School - Madison, WI
The students & community of Sherman Middle School and I spent one month designing & sculpting a 15-foot wall using cob & locally-salvaged materials! The project was steady, sweaty and really wonderful, and together we created a long-lasting element of beauty and definition in their outdoor kitchen space.
Read what the local newspaper had to say about us:
http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=40543
Watch a time-lapse video of the project here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D6sb-XpD10&feature=youtu.be
Read what the local newspaper had to say about us:
http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=40543
Watch a time-lapse video of the project here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D6sb-XpD10&feature=youtu.be
Dharma Center Oven - Madison, WI September 2012
In Fall 2012, the Eastside Friends of the Dharma community and I came together to create the largest oven I've worked on yet. What a fun group of people to get creative and muddy with.
This oven has a 27" interior diameter, smoke stack, a "truth window" that reveals different interior layers of the oven, and various adornments embedded into it's plaster from the individuals of the community.
I love how communal and utilized this oven is!
Oven of Cattail Cove - Belleville, WI Spring 2012
Linda lives in an area she calls "Cattail Cove". We wanted to incorporate the natural surroundings as much as we could in this oven, so we used clay from her poorly-growing garden, sawdust from fallen black walnut trees, fiber from the abundant cattail plants, and even some of the hair from my recently shaven head. :)
Cob Oven - Gresham, OR Summer 2011
Karen & Norm wanted a wood-fired oven in their backyard, so the three of us (plus their dog, Jessie) visualized, took inventory of our resources, and created this cob oven. More than 9o% of the materials used to make this oven are either second-hand and/or acquired within 1 mile of their home.
Salmon Gazebo Summer 2010
Portland Community College - Portland, OR
A reciprocating planted roof, recycled wine bottles, rain barrels to store roof water, and three cob salmon seven feet long to rest your back on...
This was one of my first experiences building with cob, and here I had the opportunity to work & learn from a fantastic natural builder and friend, Bernhard Masterson.
This project was erected in the Learning Garden of Portland Community College. The staff members organizing this project were great, enthusiastic people to work with and helped bring in many hands to complete this functional work of art.
This was one of my first experiences building with cob, and here I had the opportunity to work & learn from a fantastic natural builder and friend, Bernhard Masterson.
This project was erected in the Learning Garden of Portland Community College. The staff members organizing this project were great, enthusiastic people to work with and helped bring in many hands to complete this functional work of art.
Family Cob Oven - Verona, WI Summer 2010
This oven was made for my parents Curt and Debbie on their property just outside of Madison, WI. Creating this project was a great way to really connect with all of the great resources and people they have so close!
Recipe: A dry-stacked foundation of broken concrete from my uncle's back yard, an oven made of the clay-soil it stands on, straw from Farmer John down the road, sand from a nearby quarry, curious hands and lotsa love.
Recipe: A dry-stacked foundation of broken concrete from my uncle's back yard, an oven made of the clay-soil it stands on, straw from Farmer John down the road, sand from a nearby quarry, curious hands and lotsa love.