Straw/Clay Mini Home

The goal of this project is to solve affordable housing in a certain area/site while solving one or more issues in that community that the structure would be built in. The straw/claw house or known as a cob house has a frame made on top of a strong foundation and a roof just like any other house but instead of using toxic, hard to instal, or dangerous insulation methods, cob houses use straw with a soupy clay/dirt binding material in their walls for a safer insulation method. Cob house are also very durable and have lasted hundreds of year with minimal damage and because of the basic materials used to create a cob house, it is very affordable to make one.

What else do cob houses support

Sustainably sourced materials, which would include the straw from local farms, the clay/dirt from the build site in the ground, and the wood used in the frame from the surrounding or local trees in the area.

Construction safety has greatly improve because of how natural the materials are in cob house insulation instead of working with traditional fiberglass insulation which can effect the lungs, respiratory system, eyes, nose, and/or mouth if used without the correct safety equipment. Foam insulation doesn't get much better either as it can expose construction workers to harmful chemical exposers and it is a fire hazard as well. Making cob house insulation much better.

Its semi-fire resistant walls lowers the chances of the house catching on fire due to the walls being covered in clay and the base being made of concrete. It also lower the chance of a fire to spread to any surrounding structures if a fire were to be accidentally started inside of the cob house.

History:

Adobe is a kind of clay material used in the construction of building typically in the form of sun dried bricks first used by Indigenous people. Adobe architecture in the Americas has a long and rich history, dating back thousands of years. Indigenous peoples in the Southwest, particularly the Pueblo people, were among the first to utilize this building technique, adapting it from earlier cliff dwellings. The Spanish, upon arriving in the region, also adopted adobe construction, blending it with their own traditions and further developing the style. Today, adobe houses can be found throughout the Southwest, with examples in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.

-The information above was made by google AI overview.

-Note that the images above are from external sources off the web and are not mine.

Note: these materials are only for the "make it yourself" part of this instructables.

1. 1Qty plastic brick forming tub
2. straw (make sure to rip the straw into smaller pieces for a more clean result)
3. dirt (sifted)
4. natural clay (only needed if you want to connect and/or cover your bricks)
5. 1 Qty large cardboard sheet

The requirements that this type of structure would need in a certain site is a property with a dirt and/or clay source on it and an accessible construction site. The layout and plans that I have made for a cob house are made for a two person living space or a small family; but can be changed for smaller or larger purposes. A perfect site for the cob house is an off grid dry grassland area where it can be used as a cabin or home. The cob house could also have solar panels hooked up on the roof to provide a sustainable electricity source if needed. Out in the dry climate of a grassland this cob house would provide a cool escape away from the heat of the grassland and hold its heat during cold nights because of the straw insulation used within the walls. The grasslands could also provide almost all of the main building materials needed, like the long grass for the insulating and the dirt/clay used in/on the walls. The cob house would also blend in with in the grassland environment and make a smaller impact on the surrounding plants and animals because of its natural look and feel.

-The captain of this project was me and I had one other person to work on this with me on my team.

The layout of this cob house is meant to have all the basic needs of a person in a house. The first need would include a bathroom with plumbing to the public water or a nearby water source that has a sink, toilet, and a shower/bath connected to it. The next need would be a bed room with of course a bed and storage with in furniture in the bedroom. The last need is an eating space that would have a regular kitchen with a dining table and stools for more siting space. This cob house would have plumbing from either the public water source or a nearby water source like a river or stream. The cob house would also have electricity either from the grid or from a more sustainable way like having solar panels on the roof of the house for free and sustainable energy.

This is a 3D model of what a basic house using the cob house traits would look like. The 3D model has all of the basic needs of the average person. This would include a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a dining room/hang out space. In the 3D modeling phase of my project the flooring plan and layout of the house that I made, came in really handy. The conjugated metal roof may look a little ugly but it lowers the cost of the house drastically. The natural clay like color of the walls along with its straw and clay filled walls is what makes this house so affordable to build. A group of these cob homes could be formed into neighbor hoods, homeless shelters, or a cabin camp.

-This 3D model was made in fusion 360 a Autodesk program.

Cob House "Brick" ⬇️

Step 1

-Mix water and dirt until you have a watery soupy dirt/water mix.

Step 2

-Next generously pour your dirt water mixture onto a small pile of straw and mix.

Step 3

-Compact this straw and dirt mix into a small plastic tub(the tub should be able to form a brick like form) until the mixture reaches the top.

Step 4

-Let dry until completely hardened and then remove the straw and dirt mix brick from the mold to finish.

Note:

-To connect bricks apply a moist thick dirt/clay water mix between each brick.

Cob houses are a very affordable type of housing due to their walls being made of straw, dirt, and clay. These types of structures are a modern take on what used to be ancient indigenous people architecture, with their adobe houses turned into today's cob houses. The sustainability of this cob house is just one of the many other benefits of building a cob home. The cob house will also stand strong against the test of time with its incredible durability and can be easily added upon to make the house larger. Cob houses natural look makes them a great structure to put in almost any environment because they help minimize their impact on the plants and animals around them and instead of taking from the natural in a environment we can add to it, almost make it blend in. Affordable sustainable cob homes have been around for centuries in one form or another and are making a slow modern come back that could majorly help a generation have proper housing.