Starting the Hobbit House Foundation (3)

The classic movie image of a hobbit house is of one nestled into a hill. But our flat farm necessitated ‘growing a mushroom.’  All cob or earthen buildings--  whether tucked in a hillside or perched above ground like ours- require a well drained, firm foundation. Dry feet are essential,  as damp earth and mud are a recipe for disaster.

Unlike the hill-tucked home of Bilbo Baggins, that ran on and on with multiple rooms, our building would be a mere 10 square metres in size. This size structure is the largest one can build in our district, without requiring costly permits and inspections.  Ten square metres equals just over 3 x 3 metres. (Think yards if you’re from USA, Liberia or Myanmar and not used to measuring in metric).

Given the minute size, I expected the preparation process to be as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Remove sod from the hobbit house footprint. (Set aside the sod for the future roof of our structure.) 
2. Level the site in preparation for the eventual earthen floor.
3. Dig a trench where the earthbags will rest. Dig deeper holes for the wooden posts.

Simple, right? A bit of digging, and we'll be well on our way to the actual building fun.

Watch this video to see what took place in the real world.