The process of this floor has long been in the works.   I first tamped the earth beneath the building.   Then added a layer of cut polypropylene bags. Then 6 inches of red pumice ( otherwise known as scoria ).  The scoria has insulating properties and also acts as a capillary break from moisture in the earth.

Through the scoria layer I added a 4 inch perforated drain pipe, in case one day a radon gas evacuating system could be attached.  Then a couple layers of 4 mil plastic as air / moisture barrier. On top of that is 1 inch of of sand, leveled and tamped.  Then tons and tons of mud.  The mud base is at least 4 inches thick. A mixture of clay, crusher fines and straw.  Crusher fines are usually cheaper than sand; it’s the step before plaster or concrete sand, so there is less processing involved.  It has sand and rock all the way up to .25 inch. The diversity of the aggregate lends to a stronger substrate.   This would have been a good time to add pex tubing for future radiant floor heating! 
A few leveling layers of mud with finer sifted materials brought the floor ‘close’ to level.
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I got to tour  the Watts Towers this week in south central Los Angeles.  Simon or “Sam” Rodia called the sculpture in his backyard Nuestro Pueblo, or “our town.”  Spires of ferro-cement, tile, shells, found objects, broken glass mosaics.  Crafted meticulously over the course of 33 years (1921–1954).  I’m inspired and in awe of what one man can do.  A drop in a the bucket adds up to something big in time and that’s what Simon intended to do – make something BIG.  You can’t help but wonder about the man behind the art while wandering the space.  It would take months to even observe all of the details etched into the intricate monument.  A video called I Build Tower documents the story of Simon and his work ( preview on IMDB ).  I like where he says “You gotta do someting, thata they never got ‘em in the world”.

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My sister-in-law was looking for local organic CSA farms to provide veggies, and noticed the Seabreeze Organic Farm in San Diego, California.  I thought I’d check it out since they have a open house on Saturdays. I was welcomed by offers of fresh baked bread from the cob oven. And what do you know! A beautiful strawbale house.  I wish I had my camera.  This strawbale is combined with a conventionally framed studio on the back.  Mmm, what a lovely farm!

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I was fortunate to visit Joshua Tree this weekend. I met up with friends made at the Water Woman Festival in October.  During the festival  I didn’t really take any photos… to busy plerking ( play-working ).  This time I made sure to take some!

There were 4  building projects during the festival.  A temple led by Sun Ray Kelly; a cob bench and shade structure led by Kata Polano; Ray Cirino’s cob bench with built in rocket stove cooker; and a pond built by Gregory Glenn or the “goddess dipping pool”.  The temple and pool are complete, though the two cob benches are still under construction.  We were working on that this week end.

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It’s been super fun to watch the process of Ziggy and friends building his cob house, dubbed Gobcobatron, over the last year or so. It’s a new installation on the land of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, a ecological and socially minded intentional community in northeastern Missouri. Ziggy has been busy working on a spiral designed cob house with a reciprocating living roof, a rocket stove, earthen floors and interior finishes. Now it seems that he’s ready to move in!

I’m gracious to Ziggy for documenting the process as he works step by step through building a cob house. Sharing insights and taking the time to document his experience, which is no small feat in it’s self. Congratulations!

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