Serginho building his new place with a local cob plaster…just his soil with flour paste.
Well I finally found an authentic cobber from Brazil, Serginho, living in Praia Branca on the West coast of São Nicolau. He has been trying to set up a cob training in Cabo Verde while running a guesthouse, building a new place with cob bunglaows, adopting a son and preparing for a child with his Cabo Verdian partner who is also a cobber! Serginho has been training his helpers to make adobe bricks, cob plaster and cob floors. He has found the perfect recipe for his cob plaster over concrete blocks (his first building in order to get it up
quickly) using his own site yellow clay soil (ready mix!) with flour plaste. When I touched it it was as hard as stucco and appears to be quite water-resistant. While the locals have been watching with curiosity and also humor, not trusting the cob will hold, Serginho keeps moving forward happily finishing up his projects.
Yesterday I happened to be eating lunch surrounded by the mayor of Tarrafal and other local officials, architects and engineers and, as always happens, they wanted to know my story and next thing you know I am driving around with the Mayor, Jose Freitas, going to look at potential building sites to help families in need of “healthy” shelter (asthma issues). Tomorrow I will meet with the technical staff and organize a training workshop for next year! I tell you things manifest quicker and quicker…people are interested…and as soon as the first model houses go up…more will follow. As a matter of fact, the Mayor suggested a whole neighborhood of cob houses if the first one is a success! Bring on the cobbers!!!
