The Retreat at Blue Mountain Farms in Costa Rica is adding cordwood buildings to its accommodations. Cordwood Construction Resources has been providing consultation for the project. Utilizing the native tree (Pachote) the local masons (led by Chris Olson of Minnesota) are working to develop an eco-friendly mortar that will both stand the test of time and not tax the planet.  Here is the stunning result of their first building. 

Since this is a tropical climate the cordwood walls are 8 inches and the mortar runs the full length of the wall.

This retreat is located in one of the world’s Blue Zones.  “Blue Zones are identified areas where people live long, productive and happy lives.  five places in the world ­– dubbed blue zones – where people live the longest and are healthiest: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California.”

Beautiful framing and screen placement helps to bring the outdoors, in, without the bugs.  

Below is the link to the Air BnB site. 

Retreat at Blue Mountain Farms Costa Rica

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.

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

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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 cordwood builders.  Cordwood Construction: Best Practices DVD 2019,  Cordwood Construction Best Practices 2020 (print), Cordwood Conference Papers 2015 and Cordwood House Plans 2021 ($15) with 16 different floor plans, are the newest publications available from their online cordwood bookstore.”  www.cordwoodconstruction.org

 

To learn how to build your own Mortgage-Free cordwood home visit  https://cordwoodconstruction.org/