Huw Grant

Damn thats alot of responses! Cheers guys thats really helpful i think i should probably explain my requirements and limitations in terms of skill and materials somewhat better though as i don't think i've been particualrly clear. First off since i have basically no prior experience in building i want to keep it as simple as possible and so if possible would like to do without anything that requires a roundwood henge frame, as that necessitates the use of joints and would be difficult to erect by one person. I've heard alot about reciframe roofs but not about much else so if theres a simpler way of building a cone roof that would more efficiently spread its weight out on the walls i'd like to hear about it! In terms of foundations my plan is to built a ditch around 1-2 feet deep and fill it with perforated pvc pipe at a shallow angle followed by gravel and on top of that build a stem wall about a foot high, should this wall be mortared with standard cement or would cob do it?.

As far as insulation goes would it be possible to create a cavity in the cob wall by leaving a small gap in the wall which could then be filled with sheep wool or some similar material. Would this work? As i could see it significantly compromising the strength and rigidity of the walls once a roof is added. The mezzanine level is basically going to be purely for sleeping on, i'll clamber up when i want to go to sleep and down when i wake up so it doesn't need to be massive. My plan was to build the supports for it into the walls for added strength and then use the area below it primarily for storage. I'm also planning to build a lot of cantilever furniture as that seems like the most effective use of space but when it comes to a floor is there an easy way of insulating an earthen floor or would just covering it in carpets, rugs and rush matting work? Final point, i've done a bit more research and a turf roof does seem to add a truely massive amount of extra weight to the roof and since its gonna be supported on load bearing cob walls i'm not sure i wanna take that risk. Is there an easy alternative or would i have to look at something more specialised likes shakes, shingles and thatch?

Tobias that handbook was particularly useful so thanks for that! i'll go and check out those books you recommended Daniel and Tobias no i havent yet contacted Tony Wrench but i know he lives pretty close to where my Grandparents have a house in Pembrokeshire so i'll definitely try to get in contact! Once again, thanks for all the help.
Huw

Hi there guys, i'm a student just about to graduate university, where i've been studying archaeology, and whilst pondering what to do with my life upon leaving uni have settled on the idea of building myself a little roundhouse on some land that my parents own in Wales. I've spent a while looking at the vast number of different methods that can be used but have settled upon a primarily cob roundhouse about 15 feet in diameter with a reciframe probably turf roof. I'm pretty early on in the planning and material gathering stage but have come up with a few ideas. The soil where i will be doing the building is rich in clay so perfect for cob and i have access to a ready supply of straw and sand so cob seemed like a natural choice and is also something i've always thought is a pretty damn cool building material. I am however a complete novice to this whole thing so could do with some pointers. One of the main ones being, is it possible or more importantly sensible to rest a reciframe roof directly upon cob walls? The vast majority of the videos and other sources i've looked at consist of a reciframe on a henge wall frame, but considering the vast majoirty of this building work will be carried out by me alone (and occasionally some mates roped in from Cardiff) i wanna make this as simple as poss and a henge frame seems like quite a hassle, but any help here would be greatly appreciated. Also i'm planning on building a small mezzanine level to act as my bedroom/sleeping area but does anyone know whether a reciframe of 15 feet in diameter would provide enough height for this to be a practical possibility? I'm pretty short (about 5' 8" in height) but would still like a decent amount of room even if i'm not able to completely stand up! Also i'm kinda worried about insulation (it can get pretty cold up in the hills) so any pointers on that would be great, as would flooring. I've looked at earthen floors aswell as using some of the bricks and concrete paving slabs i've got lying around but if anyone's got any better ideas, that would again be fantastic. Sorry for the noobie post, the wall of text and the jabbering but as i say, i'm very new to this so any help anyone can give me would be very much appreciated! Cheers guys and Peace out!
Huw