Mutt Hutt, Cobriolet, MudRanch, Kinsol Cottage, Huuta, ReWined Inn- this little space has had many names. Not many know what the heck a light clay infill construction method is, so we felt that the partially buried studio with an extensive use of wine barrels throughout would be named The Wobbly Hobbit Studio.
Six years in the making, this studio has wine barrel accents throughout and is intended to showcase wine barrel products AND a low impact green building technique known as light clay construction. The frame structure with off-set studs is infilled with a fibre coated with clay. We used a combination of straw and Scotch Broom fibre for the infill that is tamped down between forms- similar to concrete work but without the huge carbon footprint that concrete produces.
This is an innovative use of the invasive Scotch Broom plant that is a growing problem on our Island environment and could lead to other beneficial re-use products. The infill is plastered with a mixture of clay, straw, water and sand that was hand sculpted to create what you see today.
Topped off with a living roof, the 300 square foot studio is nested amongst towering cedar and fir trees.
