We choose to build naturally because of its low carbon footprint and sustainability. We use natural materials like clay, river rocks, wood, bamboo, rice straw and carabao dung. Natural building is inexpensive, healthy, environment-friendly and the materials are readily available. As much as we can, we minimize the use of industrially produced materials like cement and steel.
For our first build, we used the wattle and daub technique. A wattle is a panel made of woven wooden or bamboo strips daubed with the mud mixture. It’s a technique usually used for non-load bearing interior walls, but can also be used for exterior walls especially those built in regions that need no insulation from cold exterior temperatures like the tropics. It is thick enough to insulate the inside of the structure from extreme high temperatures but thin, light and safe enough for earthquakes. The wattles are then daubed with a mixture of clay, sand, straw and water.
The great thing about our project site is that the materials we need to build are locally available. We have the creek for rocks, gravel and sand. We use rice straw given to us by neighbors. We have a bamboo forest with a particular species locally called “bolo,” which is good for making walls and frames. For posts, we use the bamboo called “bayog,” which we buy cheap from a nearby seller. This kind of bamboo is good for building so we started planting for our future needs. For the thatched roofing, we have neighbors who sell cogon grass, one of the traditional roofing materials used here in the Philippines. And we get our supply of clay soil within the property.
Last December, we started gathering the materials we needed for our first build – a tool shed with a small sleeping area for our friend Danny, situated in a shaded place because it gets really hot here during summer. In January, we started the foundation, the posts and roofing frame. We had a hard time with the foundation specifically on deciding if we’d be using cement for mortar. We finally went for it to test how it bears with the amount of rain we get during the rainy season. Our neighbor Zaldy who has experience in building traditional Filipino bamboo huts, helped us put up the posts and make the frames.
We then prepared the cogon grass roofing using the “bolo” bamboo as frames and strips of young “bayog” bamboo for tying.
When we were finished with the wattles and had all the other materials for the mud walls, we called on our neighbors to help in the daubing of the walls. We were overwhelmed by the support of the community including some of the local officials.
We mixed the mud with our bare feet. Everybody enjoyed doing it especially the kids!
The daubing part was a bit tricky for us at first. But when we got the hang of it, it came naturally and it was a blast!
Since we started the tool shed, friends and relatives have visited and helped in the build.
It is still an unfinished job, but we have the whole summer to do it… come and join us!
*This is just our first build, if you have any suggestions on how we can do the foundation of our next building project without using cement as mortar with consideration on the amount of rain we get, please let us know.#
(Photos by Cye Reyes and Carol Galvez)
13 Responses
Good job…
Thanks Renante
Gravel bag foundations are fast and inexpensive. Use good quality rice bags double-bagged for strength (one inside the other). Fill with gravel. Our Natural Building Blog has all the details. http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/
Hi Owen, thanks for your suggestion. Among all sustainable building techniques, we really haven’t explored using the earthbag as foundation. We haven’t done intensive research about it. Maybe we should be considering it already. The foundation is the most challenging for us, considering our climate.
I’m now browsing your blogsite, great site by the way.
Thanks for dropping by our site.
Thank you for your work! My partner and I will be building a bajareque (that’s Spanish for wattle and daub) workshop/temporary living space in Venezuela also using bamboo from our property and looking at your photos has been a huge inspiration. Can you tell me what method you used to cure your bamboo to protect it from termites and fungi?
I can’t wait to see more photos of your progress your project is beautiful!
Hi, im currently doing a research about developing cob as a floor paving material. Would like to know how did your cob adapt in our tropical environment. Did it developed cracks after drying?
Hi Bianca,
yes we had cracks on our walls, most were just minor but some were major cracks. We just had to add more sand and straw to our clay mixture. It depends on the quality of the clay you have. You can make sample bricks with different sand-clay ratio to know the right mixture for your clay. It’s adapting well so far. It looks and feels strong. Most visitors say it’s like cement. We haven’t tried making earthen floors, that’s what we’re going to do next. Good luck with your research. Thanks for dropping by our blogsite.
Cye
Hi bianca! I’m doing the same research. I just want to know the result of your research if I may.. I’m after the strength of cob if it’s sustainable enough to replace concrete in floor slab. Thanks! 🙂
did you use different ratios on mixing? I really like your projects! was this your first cob project?
hi, how it your cob house? and have you made your earthen floor? i am so interested on natural homes..
hi, how is your cob house? and have you made your earthen floor? i am so interested in natural homes..
Have you had any problems with termites eating the bamboo in you clay walls? We are thinking on doing the same as you guys with the wattle walls, we live in Tablas island.
I drop a link to our project, hope you don’t mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4trlonNJGY
Thanks for sharing information. We are researching natural building methods for a house in a remote mountain area in Capiz.