We keep a record of past notices to remember what happened.
Save the Salsbury Drive Cob Garden
From some cobber friends in Vancouver:
Dear Cobbers and Salsbury Garden supporters,
The Friends of Salsbury Garden have been working hard to try and save this very special garden with the cob house. Hundreds of community residents love and care deeply about protecting this place and have voiced their commitment to helping save it. 1,600 people signed our petition that we submitted to the City. 26 community organizations, including all three levels of government, have written letters and support preserving this green space and the possible development of children's learning programing in the garden.
Despite the City's offers to the developer (including land value, expenses to date, and additional gravy), the developer, Niebuhr Construction, has refused to sell, claiming that the offer is not high enough. But why not listen to the community and accept the City offer. The developer, Richard Niebuhr would lose nothing (except potential profits) and would gain the enormous respect of both the community and the City. We continue to hope that Richard Niebuhr will reconsider and be moved to sell. Meanwhile, we will continue to explore win-win options that respect the developer's right to fair compensation.
The developer is now, unecessarily demanding that the cob house be removed.
We are asking for your help now by respectfully calling or sending e-mails to Richard Niebuhr, at the contact info below. Let him know how much you care about the garden and cob structure, why you care about the garden, and that you/we will continue to work hard to save it. There are hundreds of you out there and if we all send Richard Niehbuhr a short message, it will remind him just how much the community cares about this garden.
Richard Niebuhr
Links: savethecobgarden | update
Salsbury cob garden, Vancouver
The cob courtyard wall done!
Big we're-finished-the-wall party Friday Sept 23
Hundreds of people came to the we're-finished-the-wall party! We relocated the regularly scheduled Friday night supper on September 23 from by the ovens to down by the cob wall, which was festooned with lights for the occasion. There was music, speeches, and of course, food! You are all invited to come and celebrate!
Mosaics are starting
Hi Everyone;
The final cobbing is being finished up and the scratch coat of plaster is beginning. We will be applying tile and glass mosaics to the next coat of plaster (the final coat).
There will be a trial on tuesday (August 23) to test the technique. I am planning on being in the park around 11am.
I would like to invite everyone to join in mosaicing starting on Saturday (August 27). Please note that the edges of broken tiles are sharp.
We are still soliciting materials e.g. ceramics, plates, glass, other interesting things that can be stuck into plaster (kid's toy cars, keys, etc).
Deb.
Cob project featured in Eye Weekly
Our cob project is featured in an Eye Weekly article about Dufferin Grove Park: A community centre without walls.
BUILDING THE COB COURTYARD
The cob courtyard by the wading pool is all built. Now comes the plastering, and the mosaics, and the sink installation. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and that seems to be borne out at the park, with the cob building project being the silver lining.
Late last summer, Toronto Public Health inspectors told us to get proper sinks for food preparation installed by the wading pool for this summer or stop having snacks at the playground food cart. Park friend Georgie Donais said – "if we have to have sinks, we can back them with a community-built cob courtyard and make something beautiful." With the help of a $2500 grant from the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation, she set about working with many park friends to build a little courtyard around the sinks, and continuing on from there, to create an outdoor gathering-place. The courtyard walls are made with a sand-clay-straw mix known as "cob" or "monolithic adobe", which is mixed by foot and applied by hand.
From Georgie:
"The first stage of the project provides a spot for the washing station required by Public Health. As the wall extended, we built arches, shelves, a fire place for cooking, and a puppet window. Now come the sculptures, tiling, and mosaics. Native plantings will be incorporated around and within the courtyard. The project will proceed in stages, starting with this washing station, and extending further as time and resources allow."
As the project proceeded, hundreds of people of all ages helped to cob. Certain ‘lead hands’ began to emerge too – besides Georgie’s husband Alan, park friends Alfredo, Isaac and Gretel, Michelle, Heidrun, Ann, and Catherine spent many hours not only cobbing but also showing others how; Alfredo also became an expert in making windows; Patrick built the fireplace; Sylvie and Simon built the kitchen counter with their theatre-set-carpentry know-how; Lee arrived just at the moment when Georgie was puzzling about the roofing. Many children also took on leadership roles. For example, Maite and Mikel became accomplished managers, helping scores of people set up mixes and teaching them how to stomp cob.
Photo updates go up on the website often: www.cobinthepark.ca [ed. see photo gallery in the right column]. There’s now a mosaic group for people interested in working with the mosaics, whether they have lots of experience with mosaics, or always wanted to try it and never have. If you want to join that group, contact Georgie at cob@dufferinpark.ca.
The Parks and Recreation Division’s contribution to this project has been solid and growing. The plumbing for the sinks was installed by the City’s plumbers, and the electricity for the water heater required by Public Health, as well as for the snack bar cooking facilities, was put in by the City’s electricians. Parks and Recreation supervisor Tino DeCastro and manager James Dann said they would help Georgie make it happen, and they’ve been as good as their word at every step.
The added extra: this is really an open kitchen, with sinks and running water accessible to all picnickers in the park, and a generous-sized fireplace equipped with a built-in "crane" – that’s a steel arm that can swing out to hang a cooking pot, over the fire.
So now when you call your friends and family to have a picnic at the park, you can wash your hands, cut up your veggies, and rinse your dishes there too. Public Health will approve. We’ll make sure to invite the inspectors (they’re our heroes too) to Georgie’s park cob party, Friday evening September 23. More about that in the next newsletter. (Music, dancing, fire-cooked food.)
BUILDING THE COB COURTYARD
The cob courtyard by the wading pool is growing spectacularly. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and that seems to be borne out at the park, with the cob building project.
Late last summer, Toronto Public Health inspectors told us to get proper sinks for food preparation installed by the wading pool for this summer or stop having snacks at the playground food cart. Park friend Georgie Donais said – “if we have to have sinks, we can back them with a community-built cob courtyard and make something beautiful.” With the help of a $2500 grant from the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation, she set about working with many park friends to build a little courtyard around the sinks, and continuing on from there, to create an outdoor gathering-place. The courtyard walls are made with a sand-clay-straw mix known as "cob" or "monolithic adobe", which is mixed by foot and applied by hand.
From Georgie: “The first stage of the project provides a spot for the washing station required by Public Health. As the wall extends, we’ve begun to work on building arches, shelves, a fire place for cooking, a puppet window, sculptures and mosaics. Native plantings will be incorporated around and within the courtyard. The project will proceed in stages, starting with this washing station, and extending further as time and resources allow.” As the wall began to rise, certain ‘lead hands’ began to emerge too – besides Georgie’s husband Alan, park friends Alfredo, Isaac and Gretel, Michelle, and Catherine spent many hours not only cobbing but also showing others how; Alfredo also became an expert in making windows; Patrick built the fireplace, with an iron “crane” for suspending the cooking pots; Sylvie and Simon built the kitchen counter with their theatre-set-carpentry know-how. And they’re just the tip of the iceberg – many more people have helped, some of them lots of times. From Georgie: “Our cob courtyard wall is steadily growing, thanks to the legion of volunteers who have heeded the call to ‘come get muddy.’ It's not too late to come on down and help us do some building with earth! You can experience the world of cobbing for yourself, at our ongoing earthen building workshops. They happen Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Even half an hour is enough time to get cobbing!”
Child-minding is available; you can find out more at the site. All are welcome to participate, including children young and old (and they do!). Photo updates go up on the website often: www.cobinthepark.ca
Also, a reminder to all those who wanted to donate materials to Cob
in the Park – it's still not too late. Still needed: coloured bottles with flat bottoms (blues, greens, amber, purple); clear jars, mason
jars; china and tile for mosaics; five gallon pails; cedar shakes; a
few pieces of seasoned firewood (18" long, for embedding in the wall).
These materials are for the mosaics embedded in the cob walls.
There’s now a mosaic group for people interested in working with the mosaics, whether they have lots of experience with mosaics, or always wanted to try it and never have. If you want to join that group,
contact Georgie at cob@dufferinpark.ca.
The Parks and Recreation Division’s contribution to this project has been solid and growing. The plumbing for the sinks was installed by the City’s plumbers, and the electricity for the water heater required by Public Health, as well as for the snack bar cooking facilities, was put in by the City’s electricians. Parks and Recreation supervisor Tino DeCastro and manager James Dann said they would help Georgie make it happen, and they’ve been as good as their word at every step.
Cobbing: All together now:
News
Mosaics work progressing; truck needed to pick up glass donation
Hi Everyone;
Just to update you...
We met last monday night and discussed image design while we played with some clay. The clay is in the green box marked #2 if anyone wants to make a shape/tile/object out of clay. Of of the volunteers will be firing the clay objects in her kiln so we can incorporate it into the design. Please note that this is special 'high fire' clay and do not mix other clay in with it.
We talked about donations of tiles, glass, and found objects. We will need to be careful to make sure all tile pieces used in the mosaic are winter-proof. Specifically we need 'outdoor tile', also known as 'fully vitrified' or marked as not absorbing more than 0.05 % water. Otherwise the tile will absorb water and then when it freezes in the winter the glazing (coloured part) will break off leaving a sharp colourless edge. A possible outcome may be that we will need to focus on glass donations. At least 2 boxes of tiles that have already been donated indicate that they are outdoor-appropriate.
I would like to remind everyone that we are still looking for a truck to pick up a large donation from the Jane-Finch area.
There is no meeting scheduled for this week, however, it is still possible to make clay creations. (I won't be able to be there this monday night). I will get the clay prepared so that it is ready to use. Next scheduled meeting is August 15 (monday) at 7:30.
- Deb Walks.
Pictures to inspire
I took a couple of pictures at the park today to assist in thinking about the designs.
A child at the park who was working on the mosaic suggested the design could reflect the playground and wading pool. He also thinks it would be nice to include an image of children working on the cob structure as part of the mosaic. Very cool.
- Deb Walks.
Cobbing: Cob workers:
Cobbing: Cob-stomping Kids:
Notices
All,
This is a final call for bottles for making bottle windows in our cob courtyard wall. We will use them like this and this. I am looking for:
- wine and other drink bottles of colours such as blue, orange, purple, yellow & green
- bottles of interesting shapes such as square, oblong, curved
- clear mason and other wide-mouthed jars to act as the other side of the window
If you have any of these that you want to donate, please speak now, so that we can get them from you by the end of this week. Drop offs are welcome; just take them to the green box attached to the shed by the pool, south end of the park.
Thank you for your help!
Georgie
All,
Two things:
1) This is a reminder to all those who wanted to donate materials to Cob in the Park that it's still not too late. We need:
- coloured bottles with flat bottoms (blues, greens, amber, purple)
- clear jars, mason jars
- china and tile for mosaics
- five gallon pails
- cedar shakes
- a few pieces of seasoned firewood (18" long, for embedding in the wall)
2) Meeting for all those interested in mosaics:
Monday, July 25, 7:30pm by the cob courtyard, by the pool.
Whether you have lots of experience with mosaics, or always wanted to try it and never have, come and get involved. If you can't make this meeting but want to be included, please email me: cob@dufferinpark.ca.
Thanks!
Georgie
From the revised July Newsletter, July 21, 2005
BUILDING THE COB COURTYARD
Toronto Public Health inspectors have told us to get proper sinks for food preparation by the wading pool this coming summer or stop having snacks at the playground food cart. Georgie Donais is directing the building of a little courtyard around the sinks, and continuing on from there, to create an outdoor gathering-place. The courtyard walls will be built with a sand-clay-straw mix known as "cob" or "monolithic adobe", which is mixed by foot and applied by hand.
From Georgie:
The first stage of the project will provide a spot for the washing station required by Public Health. As the wall extends, it can be built to include arches, doorways, niches, shelves, benches, a puppet window, sculptures and mosaics, small roofs, and a lavatory. Native plantings will be incorporated around and within the courtyard. The project will be proceed in stages, starting with the washing station, and extending further as time and resources allow.
Adults and children of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to participate in building. The latest update from Georgie:
Our cob courtyard wall is steadily growing, thanks to the legion of volunteers who have heeded the call to ‘come get muddy.’ It's not too late to come on down and help us do some building with earth! You can experience the world of cobbing for yourself, for free, at our ongoing earthen building workshops. They happen Monday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm. Even half an hour is enough time to get cobbing!
- - Some child-minding is available; more information is available at the site
- - All are welcome to participate, including children young and old
- - Potluck lunches have been a highlight of our cobbing days; please feel free to bring some food (and something to eat it off of) and join us. (If you can’t bring food from home, the park food cart sells snacks beside the wading pool.)
- - Photo updates go up on the website often: www.cobinthepark.ca
Also, a reminder to all those who wanted to donate materials to Cob in the Park – it's still not too late. Still needed: coloured bottles with flat bottoms (blues, greens, amber, purple); clear jars, mason jars; china and tile for mosaics; five gallon pails; cedar shakes; a few pieces of seasoned firewood (18" long, for embedding in the wall).
These materials are for the mosaics embedded in the cob walls. There is a meeting on Monday, July 25, 7:30pm, at the cob site, for people interested in working with the mosaics, whether they have lots of experience with mosaics, or always wanted to try it and never have.
The Parks and Recreation Division's contribution to this project has been solid and growing. The plumbing for the sinks was installed by the City's plumbers, and the electricity for the water heater required by Public Health, as well as for the snack bar cooking facilities, was put in by the City’s electricians. Parks and Recreation supervisor Tino DeCastro and manager James Dann said they would help Georgie make it happen, and they've been as good as their word at every step.
Status
Only a couple more weeks for the cobbing, don't miss it!
Plumbing is roughed in, electrical will be roughed in tomorrow, the walls are steadily rising. We've only got a couple more weeks before we quit cobbing and move on to plastering, so don't miss your chance to get your feet in the mud!
It's time to finish the wall
Check the news section below for updates on work parties: cobbing workshops Monday to Saturday 10am-3pm every week until we're done (free of course). You get to mix that cob with your feet.
Ongoing cob workshops every week Monday to Saturday 11am to 3pm 'till we're done.
All,
We had a fine turnout for our first actual cobbing party today! Thanks to everyone who came out and squished mud between their toes. We've made a good start and now have our plans in place for our ongoing workshops.
Ongoing cobbing workshops:
Monday to Saturday (we take Sunday off)
11am to 3pm
Notes:
- format: drop-in, no reservations necessary
- no experience necessary; children are welcome!
- If anyone really wants to cob in the evenings, let me know.
- The potlucks have been delicious; please join us with a dish to share (and something to eat it with)!
- Child-minding: child-minding for a limited number of kids will be available for all daytime cobbing sessions
- children are given a yellow shirt for the day with a number on it, to be returned before they go home (make sure to tell the child-minder that you are leaving!)
- the minder will make sure the kids don't leave the park; parents are responsible for resolving disputes, feeding, diaper changes, etc.
I will soon be announcing a meeting for all who are interested in mosiacs. I will also send out an updated list of stuff we are needing. Check out the pictures at www.cobinthepark.ca and come on out and join us!
Georgie
From the July 2005 Newsletter:
BUILDING THE COB COURTYARD
Toronto Public Health inspectors have told us to get proper sinks for food preparation by the wading pool this coming summer or stop having snacks at the playground food cart. Georgie Donais is directing the building of a little courtyard around the sinks, and continuing on from there, to create an outdoor gathering-place. The courtyard walls will be built with a sand-clay-straw mix known as "cob" or "monolithic adobe", which is mixed by foot and applied by hand.
From Georgie:
"The first stage of the project will provide a spot for the washing station required by Public Health. As the wall extends, it can be built to include arches, doorways, niches, shelves, benches, a puppet window, sculptures and mosaics, small roofs, and a lavatory. Native plantings will be incorporated around and within the courtyard. The project will be planned in stages, starting with the washing station, and extending further as time and resources allow."
Adults and children of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to participate in building. The first work bee was on June 11. More than 15 people showed up to help, and they made short work of the foundation trench. (The drainage section of the trench was deeper than a person's height – the diggers did such a fine job they surprised even themselves). On the next day the long, wavy trench was lined with landscape paper and then the weeping tile was laid down, with gravel filling and tamping. The material for the base underneath the cob is what Georgie calls “urbanite” (recycled construction rubble). Georgie tried to get some of the sidewalk concrete being ripped out on College Street, but that didn’t work out, so she sent word through the list serve, that she needed discarded concrete of even thickness and with no steel reinforcement. Success! List serve moderators Emily Visser and Bernard King passed along the message, and offers of concrete rubble from people’s home improvement projects began coming in. The springs on Georgie and Alan's car were not improved by carting those heavy rubble pieces. But the pieces were carefully mortared together and with the help of the core group of builders, the foundation got done. At Georgie's request, a truck from Leal Disposal came and dumped truckload of clay from a house excavation, the City Works Department brought a truckload of sand, and now all that’s left is to find more straw.
From Georgie:
"SATURDAY, JULY 9, 10am to 3pm- first cobbing party! We'll be squishing mud between our toes as we mix clay, sand and straw to make the material (cob) for the wall. Bring your bare feet, and get ready to get muddy. Children, adults and everyone is welcome to come and cob. Bring a contribution (and something to eat off of) for the potluck lunch, or get lunch from the park food cart. The work site is shaded in the mornings, so if you are heat-averse, come early. Also, for new pictures of the process, go to www.cobinthepark.ca."
First cobbing party, Saturday, July 9, 2005!
We're almost done the foundation, so we're gearing up for our first cobbing party next weekend! In case you are interested and available, here's the schedule:
Tuesday, July 5, 10am to 3pm
- mortaring foundation
Thursday, July 7, 10am to 3pm
- finish mortaring, clean up the site and prepare for Saturday
SATURDAY, JULY 9, 10am to 3pm
- cobbing party!
- we'll be squishing mud between our toes as we mix clay, sand and straw to make the material (cob) for the wall
- bring your bare feet, and get ready to get muddy!
- children, adults and everyone is welcome to come and cob
Remember:
- bring a contribution (and something to eat off of) for the potluck lunch
- the work site is shaded in the mornings, so if you are heat-averse, come early!
Georgie
PS: new pictures of the process at www.cobinthepark.ca (see the picture gallery to the right)!
Working on the foundation, July 3rd, 2005
Hello,
Looks like I'll be puzzling away on the foundation on Sunday, July 3rd, if anyone is interested in coming by. Otherwise, talk to you next week!
Georgie
www.cobinthepark.ca
Work Party Thursday June 30, 2005
We made great progress this weekend placing and mortaring the chunks of used concrete that friends and neighbours of the park have so generously donated to this project! Several people discovered that they have a knack for huge, heavy jigsaw puzzles, and enjoyed the rhythmic calm of mortaring.
One work party this week (no evenings this week):
- Thursday, June 30, 10am to 3pm
We will finish laying the "urbanite" and mortaring it together Bring some food to share for the potluck lunch, and don't forget your closed-toe shoes
I'll let you know if I end up being around working on the weekend (in case you are looking for a break from relaxing), otherwise, Happy Canada Day, and enjoy your long weekend!
Georgie
weekend work party can proceed, Sat & Sun June 25 and 26
All,
Thanks to everyone who responded to my desperate cry for concrete, our weekend work party can proceed! Here's the schedule for both Saturday and Sunday:
9am Haulers meet at site
- We'll be going out with wheel barrows and my car to various sites around the neighbourhood to pick up donated used concrete
10am Everyone else meet at site
- With the concrete that has so far arrived, we will start puzzling together the foundation and mortaring it into place.
noon Potluck lunch
- bring some food to contribute to the spread, and a plate and utensils to eat off of
1pm Back at it
3pm Wrap up
We may wrap early on Sunday so that people can be free to see the production of The Taming of the Shrew, part of The Cooking Fire Festival, at the park.
Thanks everyone for your help, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Georgie
www.cobinthepark.ca
Used Concrete Needed
All,
Are you tearing out your patio or sidewalk and want to donate your used concrete to a good home? Cob in the Park needs your used concrete! We will be puzzling it together and mortaring it to form the foundation for our earthen courtyard wall.
We need it urgently, as we have a work party on Saturday (tomorrow!) and have run out of materials. Can you help?
We're looking for:
- chunks no bigger than 18 inches across, no smaller than one foot across (some little ones are ok)
- pieces of a uniform depth, four to six inches would be optimum
Please phone me at 416-389-4425 if you have what we're looking for. Deliveries would be amazing, but we can also pick up.
PLEASE CALL NOW!
Georgie
Work parties Thurs June 23, and Sat & Sun June 25, 26, 2005
All,
A quick update:
Thursday, June 23, 10am to 2pm CONFIRMED!
- sorting through materials that have (hopefully) arrived, starting to puzzle together foundation
Saturday and Sunday, June 25 & 26 TO BE CONFIRMED
- scoring and breaking used concrete, hauling it over the trench and mortaring it into place. I will confirm on Friday whether or not the stuff is coming in time.
Some notes:
- Potluck: for daytime work parties, feel free to join us in a potluck lunch; bring a dish!
- Attire: closed-toe shoes are good, gloves and safety goggles if you have them, hats
- Stuff: for the weekend we are needing the following. If you can lend us any of this, please let me know, since whatever we don't have I will need to buy:
- plaster's trowels and tools
- chalk lines
- crowbars, masonry trowels, cold chisels, 2-3 pound hammers, sledge hammers
- wheel barrows
Thanks; I look forward to seeing you!
Georgie
www.cobinthepark.ca
Work parties Wed & Thurs June 22, 23, and Sat & Sun June 25, 26, 2005
Hello!
Three work parties coming up:
Wednesday, June 22, 7pm to 9pm
- move some sand, finish off trench
Thursday, June 23, 10am to 2pm TO BE CONFIRMED
- sorting through materials that have (hopefully) arrived, making useable piles of stuff
Saturday and Sunday, June 25 & 26 TO BE CONFIRMED
- scoring and breaking used concrete, hauling it over the trench and mortaring it into place
Some notes:
- Potluck: for daytime work parties, feel free to join us in a potluck lunch; bring a dish!
- Attire: closed-toe shoes are good, gloves and safety goggles if you have them, hats
- Stuff: for the weekend we are needing the following. If you can lend us any of this, please let me know, since whatever we don't have I will need to buy:
- -- plaster’s trowels and tools
- chalk lines
- crowbars, masonry trowels, cold chisels, 2-3 pound hammers, sledge hammers
- wheel barrows
Thanks; I look forward to seeing you!
Georgie
www.cobinthepark.ca
PS: Is anyone going out to Oakville by Friday? I need some grog from a pottery supply place out there and am wondering if anyone could pick it up for me.If so, let me know by Wednesday. Thanks!
Thursday June 16 and (maybe) Saturday June 18 work parties
Our first work party was a smashing success! The foundation has been dug and prepared, and the drainage system installed and half the gravel added and tamped. We are on schedule!
Upcoming events:
- * Thursday, June 16, 10am to 2pm. Adding more gravel to the foundation and tamping tamping tamping! (bring a tamper if you have one.)
- * Saturday, June 18, 10am to 2pm. TO BE CONFIRMED. Finishing up the gravel and tamping, closing up the dry well. (bring a tamper if you have one.)
I'll keep you updated on whether a Saturday workbee will be necessary. Pictures of the work so far will likely be up on www.cobinthepark.ca by the weekend, so check back then.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Georgie
First work parties: Saturday and Sunday June 11 & 12
Here's the schedule and some info about Cob in the Park's first work party. It happens on both this Saturday and Sunday June 11 & 12, and you are welcome to come whenever you can make it, be it for half an hour or for a whole day.
10am Start digging!
noon Potluck Lunch
1pm Back at it
4pm Finish up for the day
NOTE:
Things to bring:
- your own shovel and/or spade (with your name written on it) if you can
- sturdy shoes or boots, gloves, and sun protection
- food for a potluck lunch, and your own plates and utensils
- instruments, so that you can regale us with music while you are taking a break from digging
Other:
- you can buy your lunch from the foodcart as an alternative to potlucking it
- we will try to have some childminding available. Let me know if you would like to avail yourself of this service so that I have an idea of numbers
- the area will be a construction site for a few weeks while the digging and foundation-building are taking place, and there may be barriers and snow fence up to protect children from falling into the trench. Officially, anyone working on the site during that time is required to wear a hardhat, reflective vests and boots. So, don't be surprised if we pass some hats and vests around this weekend!
- in case of rain, we will try to cover the site with a tarp and keep working.
Maybe we'll see you on the weekend!
Construction
COB COURTYARD BUILDING: STARTS SATURDAY JUNE 11
Toronto Public Health inspectors have told us to get proper sinks for food preparation by the wading pool this coming summer or stop doing the playground food cart. Georgie Donais is directing the building of a little courtyard around the sinks, and continuing on from there, to create an outdoor gathering-place. The courtyard walls will be built with a sand-clay-straw mix known as "cob" or "monolithic adobe", which is mixed by foot and applied by hand.
From Georgie:
"The first stage of the project will provide a spot for the washing station required by Public Health. As the wall extends, it can be built to include arches, doorways, niches, shelves, benches, a puppet window, sculptures and mosaics, small roofs, and a lavatory. Native plantings will be incorporated around and within the courtyard. The project will be planned in stages, starting with the washing station, and extending further as time and resources allow.
This project aims to engage all users of the park, especially the parents and children who make the south end of the park their summer home. They will be the main users of the structure once it is built, and can make sizable contributions to its creation. Adults and children of all ages will be welcomed and encouraged to participate in building. For children who have less interest in participating than their caregivers, there will be some supervised play while the adults build."
Foundation work starts Saturday June 11.
Lengths of PVC Pipe Required. Can you contribute?
Our cob project is rolling along, and now we are looking for lengths of pvc pipe, four to six inches in diameter, from a foot to a foot and a half in length. (We will be putting conduits in the wall for passing cords, etc from one side to the other). If anyone has something like this that they want to get rid of, can you please email me? (cob@dufferinpark.ca). We're going to start needing them next week.
Check out the pictures at www.cobinthepark.ca!
Georgie
The Project
Toronto Public Health inspectors have told us to get proper sinks for food preparation by the wading pool this coming summer or stop doing the playground food cart. Georgie Donais wants to build a little courtyard around the sinks, and then some. The courtyard walls would be made of "cob," an OLD way of building that's catching on again. Georgie's proposal:
An earthen-walled courtyard will enclose the space to the northwest of the pool, creating an outdoor gathering place. It will be built with a sand-clay-straw mix known as "cob" or "monolithic adobe", which is mixed by foot and applied by hand. The first stage of the project will provide a spot for the washing station required by Public Health so that park staff can continue to serve food by the pool this summer. As the wall extends, it can be built to include arches, doorways, niches, shelves, benches, a puppet window, sculptures and mosaics, small roofs, and a lavatory. Native plantings will be incorporated around and within the courtyard. The project will be planned in stages, starting with the washing station, and extending further as time and resources allow.
Experiential workshops will serve to involve the local community in the building of the courtyard, as well as educate them about natural building techniques. The project will offer workshops for classes of local school children in June, and for the general community over the summer. We will likely have several work bees, where people can sign up to help and to learn. There will also be opportunities for participation on selected weekdays throughout the summer.
This project aims to engage all users of the park, especially the parents and children who make the south end of the park their summer home. They will be the main users of the structure once it is built, and can make sizable contributions to its creation. Adults and children of all ages will be welcomed and encouraged to participate. For children who have less interest in participating than their caregivers, we would like to offer options for supervised play while the adults build.
A show-and-tell link from Georgie: cascadiacob slide show.
Georgie & Emory with Cobs
Stanley Park
Cob Popcorn Stand
Vancouver, British Columbia
Funding and Materials
The Cob Courtyard: Project Receives Funding
Needs Materials and Tools (and people)
Georgie Donais applied to the Parks and Trees Foundation for $2500 to help build the cob courtyard wall, and the foundation has approved her grant. Wonderful. An earthen-walled courtyard will enclose the space to the northwest of the pool, creating an outdoor gathering place. It will be built with a sand-clay-straw mix known as "cob" or "monolithic adobe", which is mixed by foot and applied by hand.
The first stage, beginning June 11, is digging a foundation trench and filling it with gravel and then "urbanite" (chunks of cut up sidewalk rubble). Georgie writes: "Check out the Cob in the Park display if you are at the Thursday market, and add your name to the list if you would like to be involved. Upcoming activities include digging the foundation trench, and cutting, moving and mortaring the foundation urbanite. Sounds like fun? I thought so! "
MATERIALS LIST: Georgie's also sent a list of materials needed (besides straw, clay, sand, gravel and used concrete): If you have any of these adding clutter to your garage or basement, unused, here is your chance to get rid of them, and contribute to the project at the same time. Or, if you dare, you could mark them clearly with your name and just lend them to the park for this project.
Tools: shovels, mattocks and pulaskis and grubhoes; hand tampers; wheel barrows; blue tarps; 5 gallon pails; carpenter's levels; garden forks; hoes; old, course-tooth handsaws, and machetes; rope; measuring tapes; plaster's trowels and tools; axes and hatchets; hammers, squares, saws, chisels, drills, chalk lines, block planes, files; crowbars, masonry trowels, cold chisels, 2-3 pound hammers, sledge hammers; paintbrushes
Hardware & Glass: used kitchen sinks (one double sink, and two single sinks, a bathroom sink or two); associated faucets; coloured bottles, bottles with unusual shapes, clear jars and wine bottles
Wood: plywood (large and small pieces); dimensional lumber (2x4s, 2x6s, etc.); cordwood, seasoned; uncut logs.
For more information on this project, you can contact Georgie at cob@dufferinpark.ca or leave her a message at the rink house 416 392-0913. How many people these days get to build any kind of shelter? This wall curves into an alcove with an overhang, contains niches and windows, wraps around our public health washing station for the food cart. It needs people to squash clay with their feet so it can be mixed with straw and shaped by hand - exactly the same way people built shelter in Africa, in medieval England, in the early prairie settlements in the west. Park staff Bianca Morgan, just back from Kenya, will be the backup for Georgie, the food cart will be on the site, there will be help with child care - this may be the most memorable park summer yet.