What exactly is a straw bale/cob hybrid?

So, straw bale is fantastic because straw is cheap and quick to stack, but you still need a wooden frame and that can be mildly costly while a cob house does not require the wooden frame though it takes forever to build.

When combining these into a hybrid, is the wooden frame still needed, or is there a way to cut it out of the equation?

James Stallman wrote:So, straw bale is fantastic because straw is cheap and quick to stack, but you still need a wooden frame and that can be mildly costly while a cob house does not require the wooden frame though it takes forever to build.

When combining these into a hybrid, is the wooden frame still needed, or is there a way to cut it out of the equation?

Hi James,

Unless you are an expert with cob, you should probably go with a frame. It's not necessary, but if you rely on the cob for structural strength, it better be really well done.

If you want to go without the frame, adobe and ceb are better options.

Bill

Are you referring to cob homes in general or the hybrids with the straw bale?

That's when a cob house and a strawbale home have sexy time and make a shed. A hybrid is just that, both implements are used where needed... north, south, etc. No different than building a straw home with a few cordwood walls, or stone walls, any combination for that matter.