In this edition of the Owner-builder journey, Franz Muhl writes about a mud brick addition to his Scarborough home.
Five years ago, Peter McIntosh gave me +- 900 sun-baked mud bricks, for an extension to my house. 
With little start up money, a trickle of income, some plans on google sketch up, a pickaxe and, most importantly, plenty of time, I finally started the process a year ago.
At foundation level, with the skills that I had at the time, I used clay-fired bricks and a bitumen coat for damp-proofing. 
In March, I headed off to Berg-en-dal for a crash course with Peter. He traded his skills and knowledge in natural building for mine in brewing beer. To take clay, sand, water and a bit of straw in the right proportions and work it into a material for building, was a big revelation for me. Continue reading
