I found an earthen oven near the Taos Food Center and Community Garden. You see a lot of this style oven ( horno - pronounced ‘orre-no’ ) around here. I especially like the relief artwork around the ’smoke hole’.
At the Overland Ranch, on highway 64 to Taos, there is a adobe wall wearing away quite gracefully. This wall has no ‘roof’ to protect it so it slowly washes away. I like the way the bricks seem to levitate on the mortar.
The St. Olaf wind turbine was erected this morning adding a new landmark to the face of Northfield, Minnesota. The 1.65 megawatt turbine is located just west of St. Olaf’s campus. The new addition makes Northfield a two turbine town. Check out the St. Olaf Turbine blog and learn more about the colleges effort toward sustainable operation.
Here is a new natural building design code-named GardenFire Pod. This is a cob garden shed, wall, bench, gate with rumford fireplace, and a cob oven on top.
Features of the Cob Courtyard:
Community Space for Artists and Residence
Water catchment for watering plants
Built-in fireplace
Natural Building Materials
Archway made of Cob
Sculpture space
Mini outdoor amphitheater
‘Cannon River Commons’ access