In wall cooler box

Been working on this pantry addition to our little cabin. Project was straw-slip packed between dimensional studs, was a good learning process, though I don't think I would use the technique again. Anyways here we are, trying to finish the project, room has gone through a couple different designs before we decided it was gonna be a pantry/storage space. In the midst of those changes we find ourselves left with this hole in the NORTH side wall.



Decided to make a cooler box, probably for storing, ferments, cultures, maybe veggies?.. Inspired by something we saw at the cob cottage company but its been a few years and the memory is vague. From what I remember basically a cob box set through the wall, that they were storing raw milk and veggies, left over food, etc in.. I think it was their only "refrigeration" of sorts. Not as cold as a fridge but enough to give things a little buffer from spoiling.

Note:  We are in Northern California- Mediterranean climate, with cool wet (hopefully) winters and drrrrrrry summers. At about 3000ft so we don't get usually get over 93°F and even in the summer night time temps are cool.

Thoughts on: Should we do a full box? or partly open with metal mesh for breathing?

playing with the idea of incorporating some evaporative cooler design but feeling a bit daunted with how to combine with uncooked clay.. Have seen a version using just wool, could work behind the metal mesh (to keep the critters at bay) but given our climate, feels like we may be letting in more heat with the permeable sides plus balancing the water so we aren't damaging the cob... (The box will probably get a little sun hitting it early in the morning, otherwise only be indirect light.) Granted we may really need some air exchange... Also we have a lot of biochar, know that has good humidity buffering properties.

Wondering if anyone has some thoughts? Or tried something similar whose experience we could learn from?

Helen Atthowe describes her cooler box, used in the colder months, somewhere in the second half of this video. It's also punched into the side of the cabin, very similar to what you show in your photo. She describes a couple details about temps, what's stored in there, and even suggests packing snow around it from the outside - should you have any in northern CA to spare.

Matilda Hernandez-Miyares wrote:... . Project was straw-slip packed between dimensional studs, was a good learning process, though I don't think I would use the technique again.  

Could you just write a few short thoughts about why you "don't think I would use the technique again", Matilda?

@Matilda - I know this is somewhat off-topic, but I have to ask why you concluded that you wouldn't again attempt a slip-straw building project?  Can you please elaborate on your experiences?

I have completed most of a large straw bale build, and while I'm pleased with the results, I have concluded that other techniques - including your slip-straw method - would probably have been easier.

Matilda Hernandez-Miyares wrote:

Thoughts on: Should we do a full box? or partly open with metal mesh for breathing?


Wondering if anyone has some thoughts? Or tried something similar whose experience we could learn from?

For what it's worth, we are making our cool pantry with solid walls, but have a 4" screened vent coming in from the bottom and another 4" screened vent going out the top.

The reason it might not be worth much is that we haven't finished yet, so I can't report on how that worked!

Good luck with it!  Let us know how it goes!

In terms of the straw infill: main mark against it in my book is the thermal bridging that occurs from the wooden studs loosing one of the thermal benefits you get with a more continuous earth method like cob, earth bag or strawbale [which I didn't understand until well into the project] and its still a lot of labor! Not to mention using dimensional lumber- bound by corners.

On the plus side, allowed us to do thinner walls (which may or may not end up being a benefit) and with the plaster and everything it feel very nice and cozy in there.

This project is a 2 story add-on to a little cabin standard stud framed we are building, was a sort of our transition into earthen buildings.

@Matthew- Funny, I haven't built with straw bale but figured it was easier and more efficient then the straw infill.

Kimi Iszikala wrote:
For what it's worth, we are making our cool pantry with solid walls, but have a 4" screened vent coming in from the bottom and another 4" screened vent going out the top.

The reason it might not be worth much is that we haven't finished yet, so I can't report on how that worked!

Good luck with it!  Let us know how it goes!

Thanks for sharing your project! Are you going to have doors on the vents or have them always open?

Matilda Hernandez-Miyares wrote:In terms of the straw infill: main mark against it in my book is the thermal bridging that occurs from the wooden studs loosing one of the thermal benefits you get with a more continuous earth method like cob, earth bag or strawbale [which I didn't understand until well into the project] and its still a lot of labor! Not to mention using dimensional lumber- bound by corners.

On the plus side, allowed us to do thinner walls (which may or may not end up being a benefit) and with the plaster and everything it feel very nice and cozy in there.

This project is a 2 story add-on to a little cabin standard stud framed we are building, was a sort of our transition into earthen buildings.

@Matthew- Funny, I haven't built with straw bale but figured it was easier and more efficient then the straw infill.

Interesting.  One day if I can ever say that I've tried my hand at both, I will let you know which was more work ; )

I think if I were doing a whole house with slip-straw infill, I would make the exterior walls thicker than standard 3.5" (i.e. 2x4 stick frame).  Something like 12" open web wall trusses on 24" centers.  That way you can avoid the vast majority of thermal bridging issues, while creating a super-insulated building shell somewhat equivalent to a bale wall.  But without having to sculpt bales, and retie bales, and manhandle bales, and beat on the bales, and pin the bales, and chink the bales, etc., etc.

Packing 12"-wide infill walls would be a lot of work, to be sure, but it would still allow for nearly entirely conventional framing of doors and windows and window reveals, etc.  Plus, compared to bale building, it produces a flat, solid surface that is ready for immediate plastering (once dried, I mean), thus skipping the significant "chinking" step for bale walls.  As well as the others I mentioned.  As well as likely more steps I'm not thinking about at the moment.

Wanted to share an update, we made a frame with some scavenged pig fencing, wove in a some bamboo to fill in the larger holes. Frame structure rests against the inside wall on all 4 sides and we reinforced it with some big old brad staples + cobbing over the internal frame overlaps.

For the bottom we poured a slab of char-crete [~6 parts biochar ((presoaked!)) to 2 parts Sand and 2 parts Portland Cement- with a piece of pig fencing in the middle.] We poured the slab on a piece of plastic, which seemed to slow the drying process but it made a very smooth surface. (we waited about 4 days before messing with it)


Now we are making our way up the sides with Char-Cob, decided to have one inset cob shelf (by resting split bamboo on the metal frame and cobbing over)