Mud, nesting hippies

Mud, Glorias Mud.
Lola and Ben living ay Panya the neighboring permaculture community whom are due a baby in a couple months are nesting.
Nesting hippie style.
They are building a home from earth bricks at Panya and we spent the morning helping them.

We mixed clay and sand to the right amount in a big pit beside the building site then added 4 bags of rice husks.

My legs quickly grew tired as the mud thickened and stuck like cement. We were making mortar for the first layer of mud bricks to put in place.

Breaking up the clay

Mixing with the family

Deep in the mud

Laying out the mortar

Placing the bricks. Not string line or spirit level in sight!

A few people have asked more about the construction.

There was an existing roof shelter which is what the concrete poles are for. It's common in Thailand for a shed to just put some posts in and put a roof on the top. 

Since it was here they decided to build underneath as it would allow them to build during the rainy season.

They dug out a trench for foundations with drainage trench beside the bank etc.

Filled the foundation with concrete. Then a layer of black plastic.

1 bag layer of course stone. 25mm broken

1 bag layer of clay sand mix. Lightly damp

All rammed in place with small wooden post.

Metal mesh laid over the top for binding to with shook barb wire between them all for added strength.

The bricks are large approximately 100x250x400

Made from clay and sand mix with rice husk for binding.