Students learn to construct greener garden sheds

15:08:20 2nd August 2010

Students at a university in Alaska have been learning how to build garden sheds using a lesser-known construction method.

Cordwood masonry is quick to learn, environmentally-friendly and, due to the way it is formed, gives a unique result each time it is employed.

Using short chunks of wood, cordwood masonry combines these with mortar and sawdust to the building blocks for a new structure.

The Alaskan students made theirs using old telephone poles. When asked about the benefits of cordwood masonry, one student said to the Anchorage Daily News: "You can do it as one person, which is what I like about it."

Course leader, Rob Roy, further asserted the ease of this form of construction by stating that it can be learnt in just three days.

The benefits of this material include the sawdust acting as insulation and the logs as ventilation, meaning the interior is both warm and well ventilated.

Due to the way the material is mixed, it holds a different pattern each time it is produced, giving unique and attractive results.

Contender for the Shed of the Year competition Peter McLaren has also been experimenting in terms of building materials, with his latest shed offering using telegraph poles.