Cob in the Portland Community

I attended a workshop on cob this week and learned a lot about insulation and new methods to save energy and resources from using traditional insulation which runs through machines and is sent out to warehouses which eventually is used by construction and other companies to insulate homes and buildings. This article addresses cob structures that have been developed in the Portland area and suggests alternative places that cob structures would be useful such as restrooms in parks or outdoor sheds. The cob is a very unique infrastructure, using straw bales which are wasted or usually burned. Instead these bales can be used to make a comfortable insulation in any building. It is relatively cheap requiring straw bales, soil, and sand. The cob is layed over the bales and makes them suck together and solid against disaster and other outside threats. Cob is very sufficient and easy to maintain. It can be made by any individual and there are workshops around the Portland area which train any person how to make these structures.

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Neighborhood Places Gathering Spaces Tour