A while back, this amazing Cordwood Hobbit House was built to honor a local heroine.  Called Sara’s Storybook Garden, it provides a quiet, safe, beautiful nook for children to explore.  One of her favorite books was The Hobbit.  Funds were raised for the construction and community volunteers helped with the project.

It is now landscaped, planted, and ready to provide a space for reflection, reading, and wonder.

The Robert W. Monk Botanical Gardens in Wausau showcases this wonderful example of community spirit and remembrance. Google the name to find the hours and location. 

 

The round door frame and the cordwood infill were made with Northern White Cedar.  The mortar mix is a combination of hydrated lime, sand, soaked sawdust, and Portland cement.

Visitors come from near and far to marvel at the botanical gardens, heirloom gardens, kitchen garden, yurts, treehouses, and all manner of unique structures. Well-placed signs help identify the plant and tree species.

The interior boasts two solar tubes and round windows made in the same style as the door.  Pine wainscoting helps to provide a smooth clean surface for little readers.

The green roof is comprised of the thick rubber skin of a pool liner.  On top of the waterproof membrane are dozens of planting trays with 4-inch pots of succulents in each tray. When maintenance needs to be provided or a leak develops the trays can be removed relatively easily.  This technique is called a low-maintenance, “lite” living roof.

A close-up of the back, bermed section of the wall.  Note the metal plates and the log that has been split in half and put back together.

Frank Lloyd Wright liked to have his buildings flow into the surrounding natural world.  Here is a good example of that concept. 

Beautiful metal and wooden art dot the landscape.

The Hobbit House blends seamlessly with the natural setting.  Frank Lloyd Wright would have called this Organic Architecture.

The link to the first article gives additional details about the lite living roof.  https://cordwoodconstruction.org/cordwood-hobbit-house-memorial-to-fallen-heroes

Should you wish to learn how to build a cordwood cottage, cabin, or home, please visit www.cordwoodconstruction.org   While you are there, click on the pictures, read the brief articles, check out the latest workshops and newsletter and if you are interested click on the Online Bookstore to see all the cordwood literature available in print and ebook format.Cordwood Construction Best Practices Front_Cover_-_CC_Best_Practices small pixels

If you have questions that aren’t answered on the website you can email me at richardflatau@gmail.com  

Readers have requested a brief bio, so here goes:

Richard & Becky Flatau built their mortgage-free cordwood home in 1979 in Merrill, Wisconsin. Since then, they have written books, conducted workshops, facilitated the 2005,  2011, and 2015 Cordwood Conferences, and provided consultation for thousands of cordwood builders.  Cordwood Construction: Best Practices DVD,  Cordwood Construction Best Practices (print) and Cordwood Conference Papers 2015 are the newest publications available from their online Cordwood Bookstore.   www.cordwoodconstruction.org

Here is a picture of the Cordwood Workshop Video cover, featuring the Cordwood Education Center.

For more information on Cordwood Construction, click on the picture or visit www.cordwoodconstruction.org   Below is the 30-item Video menu. 

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