Best type of natural housing by region (Appalachia)

Hello all,

    I like in Eastern most part of Kentucky and I've always dreamed of living in a cob house but upon further research found that it's not the best option for high humidity/heat areas. I knew I wouldn't want to build it in a low lying valley for flood reasons and it needs a good pair of 'boots and hat' but it got me thinking about natural building options by region. For Appalachia, I wondered if a bermed house on a South facing slope wouldn't be a better option since you'd be taking advantage of the natural hillsides in the region. I'm looking for suggestions on a natural building option like cob or straw bales that would take advantage of the natural resources already in the area.
    Though I am also curious about what other people think of the kind of housing that would be most appropriate by region. I would think adobe is probably the best choice out West in the dessert but what about other regions, like the far North, arid, or rainy and humid areas like mine?

If I lived in the Appalachia region, I would want to build my home out of log and/or stone.  Those are the kind of homes I have seen while visiting the area.

Here are some threads that you or others might find helpful:

https://permies.com/t/193185/Natural-Building-Appalachians-info-resources

https://permies.com/t/165431/COB-OVEN-work-party-ASHEVILLE

the areas in england where cob is a traditional building material aren’t exactly the driest. i think temperature extremes may rule out cob more since while it does have a fair amount of thermal mass, it doesn’t insulate very well.

greg mosser wrote:the areas in england where cob is a traditional building material aren’t exactly the driest. i think temperature extremes may rule out cob more since while it does have a fair amount of thermal mass, it doesn’t insulate very well.

Thank you, I know of a cob workshop just South of Lexington but I'm hoping there's other people who have built cob in Appalachia specifically and can talk about how it's held up in this region. I'm curious if building it facing the South is enough to keep warm in Winter.

For a short answer, i would think the best houses would be one which you uses natural material found on your homestead or your region... But hey 1 there is always exception!

Would cordwood be an option in your area, if there's plenty of wood available? If your soil is suitable for cob, then cob with an insulating layer can be used for infill between the logs.

There's a little about that, and insulating cob walls, in this thread: https://permies.com/t/9949/Cobwood
Seems like they can be a bit of work, though. Go up faster than cob in the initial build, but will need repointing as the log ends shrink.

Have you considered Nexcem or Faswall which is a type of insulated concrete form made out of fossilized wood/concrete mix. Its "breathable" and resistant to mold. This is a bit of a hybrid solution in that its not entirely what one would think of natural (straw, cob, etc.), but it does have great thermal mass and health properties which is why I am pursuing. I am building my house in Tennessee right now and just designed my house with this material (Nexcem) with my architect George Swanson who wrote a book called "Breathing Walls" about this style of building. Still a newer material in this area, but there is a high-end architect near Asheville that builds with this material to much success (https://alicedodsonarchitect.com/). This is also DIY friendly material.