My guest today, Ziggy Liloia from “the year of mud” has been building naturally and blogging about his experiences for a decade since he started with a small cob cottage, just over 200 sq ft at an ecovillage in Missouri back in 2008. Since then he has explored many other materials and techniques and joins us today to talk about the myths and realities of natural building, especially when it comes to costs, climate appropriate design, and labor considerations.

In this interview Ziggy and I discuss some of the mistakes and learning experiences that have informed the way we design and assess appropriate materials. We talk about the importance of understanding the differences between thermal mass and insulation, and Ziggy also goes into detail about timber framing and charring wood for aesthetic purposes and to preserve the lumber for longer. This is a great episode for anyone looking to get a better understanding about the costs and realities of building with natural materials

Resources:

“Year of Mud” article on Shou-sugi-ban

The Year of Mud website

The Real Cost of Natural Building Article