number of factors from the obvious size and location issues down to the

to the table in helping a potential homeowner make the best choices.

Digging in the dirt.

many choices in building and finishing materials. But the most telling and resounding feature of their answers was the desire to consider the larger environmental aspects of building not just this home, but any home. What would be the interaction between the home and the surrounding landscape? How could they incorporate ways, right from the early design stages, to recycle resources and reduce any destructive impact. This group was not only dedicated to building really unique and beautiful homes, but entirely dedicated to building (or renovating) healthy, environmentally sustainable homes. And they bring a wide variety of expertise

Christina Ott, whom I spoke with first, has extensive knowledge of cob home building; “cob” being the term for age old building material made up of sand, clay and straw. In her own home as well as others, and in numerous small projects with the group, she’s a master of building hand- sculpted, thick, sturdy walls that curve organically to create the “hobbit” nooks that first caught my eye. The group as a whole,

also uses cob techniques to finish off a wide variety of possible underlying structural materials, all being proponents of using whatever resources are best suited to your particular location and project. Whether they coined the phrase or not, I had to chuckle at the use of “urbanite” or reclaimed concrete from destroyed city sidewalks as “stones” for underlying outdoor oven masonry. Christina will also likely be your first contact, should you get in touch with the Collective, as she is the acting project coordinator