Articles by Ziggy Liloia
Ziggy here. I started The Year of Mud back in 2008 when I began constructing my first cob house with little prior building experience. At the time, I lived at an off-grid community called Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. “The year of mud” marked the beginning of a new era — my full tilt pursuit of building with clay, straw, and wood. Since then, I’ve been involved in a variety of natural building projects, big and small. Many of these projects and mud-slinging adventures are documented on the long-running blog. I love the creativity inherent in the building process and try to incorporate the best possible practices into each and every project, no matter the scale. Things that can really get me fired up include clay plaster, timber framing, woodworking, and studying Japanese architecture, among others. The Year of Mud is dedicated to creating empowering and meaningful learning experiences for everyone taking part in their natural building workshops, creating community as well as teaching how to build with natural building materials. Courses are hosted at South Slope Farm, their homestead located in the Appalachian foothills near Berea, Kentucky, USA. They are family-friendly and all-inclusive, with lodging and food included in the tuition.
Articles by
Ziggy Liloia
The differences between insulation and thermal mass
As the winter months approach here in the UK, natural builder Ziggy Liloia of The Year of Mud goes back to basics to explore the differences between insulation and thermal mass, and why they matter.
Scribing wood to stone: how to scribe a wood post to a stone foundation
Ziggy of The Year of Mud shares a how-to guide for scribing wood to stone, with a project fitting a wooden timber frame on to a stone foundation.
Shou sugi ban: preserving wood using fire with Ziggy of The Year of Mud
Ziggy Liloia of The Year of Mud in Kentucky, USA, shares his how-to guide for shou sugi ban, preserving wood using fire as practised in traditional Japanese timber building. It’s a thing of beauty!
How to make a Japanese plaster hawk for clay plastering
Inspired by the magic of traditional Japanese clay plastering, USA-based natural builder Ziggy Liloia of The Year of Mud shares his step-by-step guide to making a Japanese plaster hawk.