Tinyfarmlab

Building @tinyfarmfriends
Cross-stitching Design, Art, Science, Technology.

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

Throwback, June 2021
We made an initial model to understand the spaces and different stages of construction.
The design has evolved since then.

#cobhouse #naturalbuilding #architecturemodel #architecture #sustainablearchitecture #ecofriendly #mudhouse #sustainabledevelopment

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

May 22, 2021 (Throwback)
We chalked out the zoning plan on to the site using sticks and stones to make sure that the spaces feel right. Although there was temptation to make the spaces bigger, we kept them as tiny as possible.

#naturalbuilding #ecofriendlyhome #sustainabledesign

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

16th May 2021 (Throwback)
After observing the sun paths, the wind paths, how the water drains on-site, and applying patterns from our bible - ' A Pattern Language ' by Christopher Alexander, we drew our first zoning plan.

#houseofbiomaterials

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

Ep. 11 // Material Literacy with Shubhi Sachan

Shubhi is a multidisciplinary designer who believes that everything we call waste, can be put to use.
Tiny Farm Friends Podcast
https://t.co/lvLi8d4eSG
Listen and subscribe on Youtube, Spotify, and Apple podcasts.

#future #podcast

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

May 15, 2021, Repairing Retaining wall (Pusta)
Our first apprenticeship in the village. We got to learn what to do and what not to do while repairing this retaining wall before we built our own retaining wall on our site.

#drystonemasonry #retainingwall #stonemasonry #rishikesh

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

May 3rd, 2021 (2/2)

Starting your natural building journey by building something small gives you the required momentum and confidence. We made this Rocket Stove “Rocket Rana” learning from the posts of @smokelesscookstove_team

#rocketstove #naturalbuilding #chulha

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

May 3rd 2021 (1/2)
Starting your natural building journey by building something small gives you the required momentum and confidence. We made this Rocket Stove “Rocket Rana” learning from the posts of @smokelesscookstove_team

#rocketstove #chulha #smokeless #naturalbuilding #cob

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 2021, Testing the bricks
If there are cracks, there is too much clay, you can add more sand or straw.
If sand rubs off, there is too much sand.
Test the strength by dropping them from 1ft or 2.
There's no perfect recipe. With experience, Its about how it feels in your feet.

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 2021
There are various test to judge the clay content - squish, ring, shine, cigar test etc. the best way to judge the strength, cracking of the cob mix is to make test bricks of different ratios of clay soil and sand. Also, that's a volcano for the village kids.

#cob

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 2021
There are various test to judge the clay content - squish, ring, shine, cigar test etc. the best way to judge the strength, cracking of the cob mix is to make test bricks of different ratios of clay soil and sand. Also, that's a volcano for the village kids.

#cob

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

What is Cob?
" Cob is a composite building material, a mix- ture of earth, clay, sand, straw, and water, hand-worked into monolithic earthen walls. "

" The word cob comes from an Old English root, meaning a lump or rounded mass."
- The Hand sculpted house

#cob #naturalbuilding

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April, 2021
@k_ansh and Jamie excited to make the cob for the first time. Making cob is a democratic progress, almost everyone can make it.

#naturalbuilding #cob #eartharchitecture

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 20, 2021, Jar test
Take crushed subsoil (below 1ft)
Fill 1/3 Jar.
Add water almost full.
Add pinch of salt.
Shake it like you mean it.
Observe and mark settlement.
Coarse Sand settles first ( 5 sec)
Then Silt and clay (10 min)
Fully settled (weeks)

#naturalbuilding

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 17, 2021
The site was in 3 different levels.
In Uttarakhand the land is measured in Nali.
1 Nali = 200 sq m. approximately. We nailed bamboo posts at the corners and took them as reference points to measure the site.

#naturalbuilding #cobhouse #Rishikesh #earthbuilding

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 9th, 2021
Harvesting pending straw to make our first cob mix.
Straw adds tensile strength to the cob. In Uttarakhand, usually wheat straw can harvested around summer and Rice straw post monsoon. We will talk more about straw and grasses for cob mix later.

#cobhouse

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 2021,
Test Pit to check if the pit fills with water(likely clay soil) or drains well (likely sandy soil).
Whenever you dig a test pit on any land, please make sure that you fence it or surround it with rocks to prevent human and animal injuries.

#naturalbuilding #cobhouse

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April, 2021
Digging test pits on the land to check soil type and filled it with water to check the drainage.

#cobhouse #naturalbuilding #earthbag #reiprocal #cobbuilding #rammedearth

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 2021,
The site for the House of Biomaterials (cob house), although with the view of the great Ganges was a challenging one - on a cliff's edge with multiple contours on a tiny site.

#cobhouse #naturalbuilding #vernacular #architecture

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April 15, 2021
Helping Dadi carry her new door by trekking 2 kms. This was the first time we lifted something heavy from the river to the village uphill. Look at the Dadi(granny) carrying those steel sheets alone. #Superwoman

#gettingstronger #mountainlife #rishikesh

[Tinyfarmlab @tinyfarmlab]

April, 2021
Growing Oyster Mushrooms with @missfrizzlefry

#oyster #mushrooms #mycelium #fungi