Straw and mud is cob. That's how houses were made in the UK (for example) for quite some time. It is a bit more modern than wattle and daub. An aunt and uncle

Straw and mud is cob. That's how houses were made in the UK (for example) for quite some time. It is a bit more modern than wattle and daub. An aunt and uncle of mine owned a house in a village in Devon for a decade or so with 1660 scratched rather neatly near the front door. That cottage is quite old but no where near the oldest cob and thatch building hereabouts. Horse piss or any piss (nitrogenous waste) is also used, presumably with another admixture. I'm not a cob expert but I did study Civ Eng and graduated. You pop a lime wash on it for water proofing, without sealing it completely - it needs to breathe - ie avoid rot and decay. When it eventually breaks down, you cut out the bad bits and replace with more of the same. Not sure about making bricks of the stuff - that might introduce potential fault lines but that might not be an issue and may even allow the structure to flex more in response to say earthquakes or weather. (EDIT: hay -> straw)