Things that man in suit check for.
1) Septic/Sewer
2) Plumbing
3) Electrical
4) Insulation
5) Wind/Snow Loads on Roof
6) Foundation/Stem Wall
7) Heating/Cooling/Ventilation
8) Shell (Timber vs Brick/Cement Block/Earthbag/Cob/Masonry)
Don't be afraid to let the man in suit check off 1 thru 7 and then be certain to explain cob as just a type of veneer, even if it is 24inches thick.
So to recap:
A) awesome foundation,
B) timber post and beam to support the roof
C) insulation in addition to cob thermal mass
D) Add 5% cement to cob mixture
E) Bond Beam
F) Architectural plans even if they are just off the internet
G) Keep the design conventional, e.g no dome roof/etc
I particularly like timber/lumber for the post,beam,roof and strawbale for insulation, with a much thinner layer of cob on the bale. It's called balecob.
Check out this balecob build and let me know what you think of it:
https://permies.com/t/60866/balecob-home-earthbag-foundation-building