The Mud and Wood House
The house was designed and built by husband and wife team, architect Feile Butler and carpenter Colin Rtichie. It is located in the northwest of Ireland, nestled between the Atlantic coastline and the foothills of the Ox Mountains. Built from salvaged and natural materials, the embodied energy of the house is tiny. When the site was excavated for the foundations of the building, this sub-soil was used to build the south and west-facing external walls plus all of the internal walls. The mud was mixed with straw to create cob, an ancient and enduring form of monolithic earth construction. For extra insulation, the east and north walls were built as timber frame from salvaged wood with straw bale infill.
Photo: Steve Rogers
Exterior design