Building my first natural house in Kenya coastal region

Hello everyone! I'm exploring the possibility of building my own natural home in the Kenya Coast region, situated approximately 2 km from the sea, where the weather is consistently hot and humid with a subtropical climate. I have access to local materials such as basic cob for house construction, red mud, makuti (palm trees) roofs, stones and mangrove hoods. Ventilation is a key consideration due to the tropical climate. The size I’m thinking is a spacious two bedroom. I'd appreciate guidance on the planning process, where to start, and what questions to ask constructors. Your insights on what to prioritize in the initial stages would be immensely helpful. Thanks in advance for your expertise!

Are you a local, they may have designs and techniques that suit your area

John C Daley wrote:Are you a local, they may have designs and techniques that suit your area

No I’m a foreigner.

Traditional houses here are constructed using materials such as palm leaves, grass, mud, and cow dung, but in a very rudimentary way, making them less durable. The local Makuti-style roof, while beautiful, tends to lack longevity as it is thatched with sun-dried leaves of the coconut palm and can be expensive to change a big roof every 5 years or so .

Considering alternatives like cob or straw bale for construction is on my mind, but I lack knowledge about them. While I initially desired a natural foundation, research suggests that using concrete might be more practical than purely natural materials. I'm seeking more opinions, and even for the roof, I'm contemplating using concrete based on what I've seen in cob house tutorials on YouTube. Any advice would be appreciated.

I found an architecture site discussing African Taita vernacular housing and I can see that the designs work well in that climate.

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The cob and thatch give good thermal mass and insulation. I like the big roof overhang and think that could be a useful seating area, or outdoor kitchen area in the shade too. High up openings under the overhang and tall ceilings give good ventilation.

I appreciate your caution on the thatch however. I'd love a thatched house, which are traditional in much of the UK too. Maybe you could ask people with thatched roofs how they manage? I know the UK ones can be repaired several times, and if maintained well can last centuries.

Nancy Reading wrote:I found an architecture site discussing African Taita vernacular housing and I can see that the designs work well in that climate.

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Thank you for your detailed insights! I truly appreciate the round shape concept, and I'm seriously considering it for my place. The idea of a thatched roof, possibly with a second roof inside to address bird and insect issues, is appealing. While I'm exploring more permanent materials for longevity, my plan is to create an open-sided, round building gazebo for daytime use. I envision staying outside all year since the weather is generally sweet. There's a bit of rain and cooler periods in June and July, prompting the need for windows and blankets, but overall, it's mostly hot. The only significant challenge I anticipate is the presence of mosquitoes and insects, more than the cold. I'm eager to find a suitable solution for this. Also the problem of the local house style is that they are very very dark inside I’d like to have more windows and much bigger size. Where do you suggest I star studying about cob houses? I want to be prepared to ask the right thing to the designer and the workers. What is the first thing to do in the land like put the septic tanks? And I’ve heard that maintaining thatched roofs can be expensive, especially now that it’s popular in the area with many hotels adopting it. I’ll be sure to ask around for insights on how people manage and maintain their thatched roofs. Thanks again for your thoughtful suggestions!

First things to consider doing on your land.
- start planning tree locations prepare soil and plant.
- study land and determine house location
- do rudimentary soil tests
- study books or read tutorials about cob, also known as mudbrick or adobe.
- consider water catchment from roof, a square corrugated iron roof can be installed on a circular building
- think about septic tank location and construction style

John C Daley wrote:First things to consider doing on your land.
- start planning tree locations prepare soil and plant.
- study land and determine house location
- do rudimentary soil tests
- study books or read tutorials about cob, also known as mudbrick or adobe.
- consider water catchment from roof, a square corrugated iron roof can be installed on a circular building
- think about septic tank location and construction style

Thank you for the insightful suggestions! Starting with planning tree locations and preparing the soil sounds like a great approach. I appreciate the idea of water catchment, though I have reservations about the look and noise of corrugated iron roofs in heavy rain. Could you recommend alternative durable and cost-effective roofing materials that complement cob construction? Also, any suggestions for ebooks on cob construction would be greatly appreciated as I delve into this exciting project.
Additionally, I’m curious about the comparison between plaster and mud bricks – which one is considered better for the construction, both in terms of effectiveness and durability?

Hime, you will find there is no need to "quote" a previous entry since they will be next to each other anyway.

Additionally, I’m curious about the comparison between plaster and mud bricks – which one is considered better for the construction, both in terms of effectiveness and durability?

Plaster is a thin surface addition to either a cob or a mudbrick wall.
Corrugated Iron is the most durable, cost effective roofing on the plant in my opinion.
If you insulated it the noise is less, but most Australians fall asleep listening to the rain on the roof, its soothing.
Book recommendation s
- https://www.amazon.com.au/Building-Cob-Step-step-Sustainable-ebook/dp/B00EGWGRQY
-  https://www.amazon.com.au/New-Adobe-Home-Michael-Byrne-ebook/dp/B005ZFQNLA
- https://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Paul-Grham-McHenry-Jr/dp/0816509484
- https://www.booktopia.com.au/new-adobe-home-dottie-larson/ebook/9781423608226.html

Apologies for any confusion. I meant to inquire about the difference between mud bricks and cob, specifically in terms of suitability for a hot humid climate.

Your insights on corrugated iron roofing are appreciated, especially the suggestion about insulation for noise reduction. It's intriguing that many Australians find the rain on the roof soothing. I'll certainly look into the corrugated iron roof, especially since I’m considering solar panels. And thank you for the ebook suggestion; I've acquired one now.

Regarding my curiosity about a two-story building, is it possible to construct the floor in cob for the second level? I'm also pondering the cost comparison between building two one-story houses versus one two-story earth building.

Additionally, I'm uncertain about the soil composition; it appears very red and dry like sand but the local are building their cob house with it so I guess there is some clay in it. Here, hand-pressed earth bricks and machine-made ones are also available. I assume bricks might be less secure as separate pieces but quicker to build – is that correct?

ANSWERS IN CAPITALS
'Regarding my curiosity about a two-story building, is it possible to construct the floor in cob for the second level?
NO BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO STRONG ENOUGH TO SPAN  THE CEILING WIDTH.
COB ARCHES CAN BE BUILT, SINCE ITS DONE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, BUT ITS VERY TECHNICAL.
USUALLY TIMBER BEAMS WOULD BE USED OTHERWISE.
I'm also pondering the cost comparison between building two one-story houses versus one two-story earth building.
- YOU HAVE ONE ROOF
- YOU WILL NEED A FLOOR/ CEILING STRUCTURE
- YOU WILL HAVE HALF THE ROOF CATCHMENT AREA
- CONSTRUCTION IS MORE DIFFICULT
- YOU WILL NEED A SET OF STAIRS
Additionally, I'm uncertain about the soil composition; it appears very red and dry like sand but the local are building their cob house with it so I guess there is some clay in it.
DO A BOTTLE SOIL TEST
- WITH A 1 L GLASS JAR PUT 2/3 VOLUME OF SOIL SAMPLE
- SHAKE VIGOROUSLY
- ALLOW SETTLING TIME
- OBSERVE STRATA'S, YOU NEED A NICE RANGE OF FINES TO COURSE, IF THERE IS A BIOG  DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BANDS YOU DONT HAVE GOOD SOIL FOR THE TASK.
Here, hand-pressed earth bricks and machine-made ones are also available.
THOSE BRICKS ARE PERFECT, BUT COST YOU MORE THAN MAKING YOUR OWN, WHICH IS HAR5D AND TIME CONSUMING.
IF YOU HAVE NO MONEY AND A LOT OF TIME, THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM IS GOOD

I assume bricks might be less secure as separate pieces but quicker to build – is that correct?'
NO,.
BRICKS MORTARED TOGETHER WITH A FINER FORM OF THE SAME MATERIAL THE BRICKS ARE MADE OF AND MIXED TO A THICK CREAMY CONSISTENCY THEY WILL BE EQUAL.

Hi. I am based in Kenya, Voi to be precise. I may be able to answer your questions from  an architectural and an experience perspective. please  write  me at gathogowanjugu@gmail.com. also check out my youtube channel;PATRICIA -OFFGRID. It answers some of your questions

Hime Kiki wrote:Apologies for any confusion. I meant to inquire about the difference between mud bricks and cob, specifically in terms of suitability for a hot humid climate.

I am familiar with making adobe bricks though I have not made them.

To me, the difference between bricks and cob is that bricks are stacked with something in between and cob is applied to some sort of something for a wall, what I have seen is adobe placed on chickenwire.

You might enjoy this book by the Mud Girls:

https://permies.com/wiki/87449/Mudgirls-Manifesto-Handbuilt-Homes-Handcrafted

A major difference between mud bricks (adobe) and cob is that cob is built monolithically, with straw extending continuously through it as reinforcement. Mortared adobe might act monolithically, cob will. Bricks can be accumulated over time and built quickly, cob has to be built up with time for the previous layer to stiffen - you can't build a meter high in a day or it will slump. Masonry is a skill that takes some time to be good at, cob is pretty much piling lumps on top of the wall.

Hi Hime,
I live in Naivasha and we have been doing cob buildings for about 10 years. You are welcome to come and see what we are doing and I also have a trained team that may be able to help you get started. Lately we have been using eucalyptus poles with chicken wire on either wide of pole which we fill with trash and then cover with cob. We have made quite a few buildings and 2 bedroom cottage using this technique. Let us know if you would like more info and I can send you my email.

Hi - a few pointers based on many years living in Kenya including building our own cob cottages in Laikipia, and owning a makuti roofed house at the coast for many years.
- When made by local experts, makuti roofs last 20 years, not 5. They are by FAR the best option and the most beautiful. Ours was built separately from the house, ie the roof stood alone on its structure, and the house ws built underneath it like a box (with ceoling boards in the bedrooms to allow for fans, net etc.)  The only thing that sometimes lives in makuti are bats, which you can deter (their droppings stink) by stringing close-together fishing line or string across the whole width of it. Grass roofing attracts all kinds of insects, snakes, scorpions and other dudus you don't really want to be living in close proximity with (it sounds exciting to begin with but very quickly gets old/dangerous).
- Termites are a disaster for straw bales, wood, cob and any other natural material in direct contact with the soil that isn't properly treated (and even when it is treated, they still get through); the house needs to be built on a slab of rock/hardcore (concrete, preferably) or at least have the first 3 feet of every wall and the floor made of this, to give you a fighting chance against them. The local huts are not made with cob as we know it; they are made with sun-dried earth bricks that don't have straw in them, usually. The only wood termites don't eat is cedar.
- Make sure you factor adequate security measures into your design, such as metal grills on all windows and doors (doors must be metal or wood with a metal inner). Don't mess with security in Kenya. People right now are struggling to survive with the hike in taxes, cost of basic goods and lack of jobs, especially in the coastal region, and good people to do bad things out of desperation.
Good luck!

Start by focusing on good ventilation and a strong roof design for the humid climate. Talk to local builders who know how to work with the natural materials you have