Baking in the warmth of California’s Cumaya Valley stand three small structures made of an ancient building material: cob. The material is a mixture of clay-heavy soil, straw, sand and water that — when dry — provides a simple but effective shelter.
The three structures are more akin to rooms than homes (clocking in at around 100 square feet each), but they come with an appealing price tag: only around $500 each, not including labor cost. Quail Springs Permaculture, an educational non-profit based in Southern California, built the houses over the span of a few months.
According to natural building and advocacy director Sasha Rabin, the structures were made using — along with reclaimed fixtures such as doors and window frames — materials sourced directly from or nearby the construction area. This has historically been the case for cob and other vernacular materials, which make use of local resources.
“We ...
