Freya's Curvalinear Foundation

Last week we were in the dug foundation of Freya's house, the first of nine residences being built here. I totally geeked out when we were helping Gord calculate and position the rebar and forms for the foundation footings. There are two kinds of structure going on, timberframe and cob, plus 5 different kinds of footing designs. This is the kind of math I loved so much in high school that I went and majored in math in university. But since we didn't do any geometry and not even one application in university, I left that program after two years. The timberframing footings need to be accurate within 1/64 an inch. Cob is more forgiving so you can be within 1/4 an inch and still be fine. We used trigonometry, string, laser levels, and neat tricks to line things up.

We're teaching curvalinear foundation, which allows us to create a curved foundation for curved walls. The technique involves posting rebar, lining with curved wood forms and laying fabric to pour the concrete. Geeky fun times were followed by sledge hammering rebar into the ground. It's good for building confidence in your own power and motor skills.