Darrell Turner

In the old days animal hair was used in finishing plaster because it was good at preventing cracking. In the SW USA the Pueblo Indians(I think) have a yearly ritual where they repair the previous season's damage to their adobe structures. I'm sure some of them also employ the help of the mushroom gods to make the experience more spiritual.

The blocks are for the walls, roof panels I was thinking 6" thick  clay slip straw with inside willow with strings  wrapped around them and  tied to the rafters. Covered with protective layer. If they last one season that would ok, easily replaced. A foundation  of rubble and rock, maybe with a footer of cobb.

By panels I'm thinking 3'X3'X1' blocks compressed tightly. 6" deep holes to put dowles in to connect pannels.The roof rafters and trusses of round poles, protected against winds lifting the roof by tie downs, like  the Army tents and Iranian sheep herders hold down the roof made of bent poles and felt. The idea is something for emergency survival and durable, and something that can be rebuilt when  needed. Possibly a variety of dried material could be used if straw is not available.

Just joined Permies, don't know the best place to post this. As soon as it stops snowing in Idaho, I'm going to experiment with building molds in which I can tamp large straw clay slip panels with peg holes to attach them horizontally and verticaly. I intend them to be load bearing to a point, and I hope to cover the structure with a light roof held down with rope supports, similar to the yurts and Iranian nomad sheep herders tents. This is keeping in mind it would be for survival purposes and not pass local building codes in the U.S. I hope to show them at this year's Rabbit Sticks meet in Rexburg. Any suggestions?