Sunbeams stream through the south-facing glass doorway onto reclaimed white oak flooring, finished with tung oil for natural beauty and durability. Hand-worked local roundwood beam above doorway.
The tree behind naturally shades the structure from hot summer sun, leaving gorgeous dappled light on the front exterior clay plaster.
Reclaimed double-glazed window bounces light off of the curved clay plaster reveal.
Thick double-stud walls filled with light straw-clay keep the structure snugly insulated in all seasons. Exterior trim painted with Swedish linseed oil paint.
Ready for furnishing as a backyard studio or guest room
Rocket Mass Heater (RMH) Core Rebuild, 2025, Central MA
This rebuild replaced a small prefabricated rocket heater with a larger masonry RMH. Made with reused metal barrels, firebrick, red brick, fireclay mortar, and cob.
Freshly built J-tube style RMH combustion unit (center), with second barrel (right) as stratification chamber between the combustion unit and the cob thermal mass bench (mostly out of frame, far right).
Due to the strong draft generated through the burner, the combustion products are sucked into the apparatus, keeping indoor air quality high and showing the signature “sideways flame”
A rocket mass heater is a low-cost type of masonry heater. Rocket mass heaters use a mere fraction of the fuel of typical wood stoves, with short, hot burns that both release heat immediately through metal surfaces and “charge up” a large mass with heat that radiates for hours.
View down the 5-foot tall heat riser
Simplified schematic
This basic RMH build was completed rapidly to provide heat for winter. Finish plasters can be included for a more refined final look.
She works HARD, with extreme focus, is a super fast learner, and inspires me to get more focused and productive too. It helped to have someone get me past the hurdle and feel like I can whip up a batch of cob.
It’s connecting and nourishing to work alongside someone who has the same awareness of values of sustainability.
-Joshua, client
Demonstration Wall, 2025, Rhode Island
This wall was built during a 1-day natural building workshop at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Free standing wall section with light straw-clay on one side and bamboo wattle-and-daub on the other. Cedar shingles on top not shown.
Mixing light straw-clayApplying daub to woven wattle made with foraged bamboo and vines
Work
Projects I have contributed to over the years.
Foundation and site prep for three new houses in Moab, UT, with Community RebuildsWhere my part ended…A year later!Stone retaining walls in progressReplastering earthbag benches in community garden with clay plaster. Moab, UT
Light straw-clay insulation on timber frame house in MichiganFinish clay plaster on a straw bale house. Done in Tennessee along with workshop participants.Cob chicken coop, NY
Cob pizza oven built with workshop participants and Embodied Build.Earthen floor, Michigan.Cob house, TN
biolithic builds 