Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Franco.
Chad, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My passion is Natural Building with Cob. Cob is a mixture of local clay as the binder, aggregate for its volume and compression strength, and straw for its tensile capabilities.
This upcoming October will mark three years since I took the first step to making a change in my life that would lead to where I am today. I signed up for my first PDC (Permaculture Design Course) in Santa Cruz, CA where I gave myself the opportunity to dive into the world of sustainability. My path was unclear at the beginning but I knew this was a good first step to see what was out there. I’ve always been mechanically inclined working with my hands and when the weekend class on natural building came around, it immediately grabbed my attention, and I fell in love with Cob. Learning to build with the soil beneath my feet and molding it into almost any shape you could think of; beautiful curvilinear lines on interior walls of houses excited me in a way that would make conventional square rooms disappear. This new attraction encouraged me to learn more so that one day I could escape my 9-5 job and build my very own custom dream home. Needless to say, I was hooked.
Combined with my love for travel, I found international workshops abroad and began my journey to learn everything I could about Cob. My first workshop brought me to the Island of San Miguel of the Azores in Portugal, where eight students would construct the walls and roof frame of an outdoor sauna in 12 days. It was only a month later where I would assist on another seven days workshop on the mainland of Portugal in Castro Verde. Here we built an outdoor kitchen with a sink, bar, cupboards, electricity outlets, and an earthen oven on a dry stack foundation. In October 2017, I assisted and received an Advanced Cobber Certificate in Taylor, TX. During this 28-day Cob workshop 12 students built a 150sq/ft round studio with a loft from foundation to roof.
I am now keeping my practice alive in my home town of San Luis Obispo. Organizing and teaching workshops locally has allowed me to spread the knowledge of a sustainable and alternative way to build. Natural Building gives you the chance to lower your carbon footprint, surround yourself with healthy natural materials with great thermal mass, self-regulating humidity, EMF blocking, rot/rodent/mold/fire proof, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and aesthetically pleasing. Visit my website for upcoming workshops and any inquiries!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
An obstacle and challenge that I face is finding people within my community that are interested in this type of building. Natural Building is very labor-intensive and begins to take a toll on the body with small groups. Many hands make light work. Seeking individuals that are passionate about making a difference in the problems we see in conventional building is not an easy task.
Please tell us about Cobbers Delight.
What drove me to create a small business in Natural Building is pushing myself to be proud of what I do and seek to be part of the solution from the problems we face in our society today. From things like pollution, waste, our carbon footprint, cost of living, non-sustainable practices, lack of community and lack of awareness, Becoming conscious of your actions and how they affect the world around you, near and far.
As the Founder of Cobbers Delight, I am proud to say that I have very little to no waste in my practices, Using appropriate technology helps me lower my carbon footprint and use only what is needed to move my materials. I build community by hosting and teaching workshops. Leading by example, bringing people together for a common goal to be more sustainable and aware of how they can make a difference within their own lives and the community.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Building sandcastles at the beach. Spending time with family and friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CobbersDelight.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @cobbersdelight
Image Credit:
Brandi Lopez Photography
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