Cob takes a tremendous amount of human energy to create. A batch might take an experienced cobber 15 - 20 minutes. It takes me a little longer, since I have to bring materials from 200 feet plus to the site.
Now that I’ve moved some 50 tons of material I decided that I need a worker bee! Continue…
So how does one calculate the material needs for a project?
I’ve often wonderd about how people calculate material needs. You usually don’t want to pay for more than you need, and you sure don’t want to run short of material in the middle of a job!
The University of Minnesota’s Borealis III comes in 2nd at the 2005 North American Solar Challenge.
First to the finish line, was University of Michigan’s ‘Momentum’. This race is the longest solar car race in the world. Covering approximately 2,245 miles from Austin, Texas to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Hunt Utilities Group, LLC has created a large research office building made with strawbale and cob up in the Northland of Minnesota. Much of the work has been documented in their website www.hugllc.com. Their guiding philosophy is to shorten the loop by using local construction materials, local energy sources ( the sun ), raising food locally, and recycling water… To be a symbiant, not a parasite.
Goals for the Research Campus
Every building will be able to heat and cool itself without fossil fuel
The campus will create no sewage effluent
Some of the houses will use little or no additional water other than what falls upon their roofs
Use permaculture in the planning, development and growth of the campus
Raise food in adjoining greenhouses for ongoing harvest year round
Build a community that lives in a manner that is sustainable without degrading the environment
Hunt Utilities Group, LLC
2502 24th St SW
Pine River, MN 56474
(218) 587-5001
Fax (218) 587-5002
www.hugllc.com
Update: Jan 2006
See HUG Video ยป
We are transitioning from the old site to the new Word Press powered site. This change brings many new feautures- site search, permalinks, RSS, user registration, comments, archives, integration with the photo gallery and more. It also will bring some link rot… sorry, we’ll do our best to forward external links. The design was created by Michael Blaha of Organic Arts. The site is working under Firefox and is still a little clunky under Internet Exploder.
I would like to invite you to register as a user on the site. This will allow more access and provide you with an opportunity to contribute. If you would like to contribute to the news or photo gallery, please let me know. I’m open to hosting natural building projects here.
Be officially encouraged!