Deep in the arroyos (canyons) of southern California’s high desert, is an experimental research campus dedicated to developing harmonious lifestyles. As winter approached, there was a need for a heater in the Commons/Kitchen Yurt – and bada-bing bada-vroom: a super-efficient Rocket Mass Heater was crafted! Below you will find a rough time-lapse-esque sequence of the creation of the bench (thermal mass for the rocket stove) for the common space / kitchen at Q.S. Please check out the Rocket Mass Heater Website by Ianto Evans + Leslie Jackson (two of the main innovators of this method) for more info, and to get the book which tells you all about how to build your own. Good luck
Below are some detail shots of the guts of the bench as well as other steps of the process.
“EARTH TURNS TO GOLD IN THE HANDS OF THE WISE” – RUMI
Capturing Capacity 
This is super rad! Now I understand what you were talking about.
Hi, I’m trying to build a similar rocket mass heater, and wondering how you have the tire box at floor level. Does your fire burn chamber go below the floor level to get it’s J shape? Or do you not have a vertical burn chamber? And if you have horizontal burn chamber, does this affect the stove function?
thank you for any help you can give
Greeetings! As I recall there was no ‘below-floor’ components of this project. The fire box was floor level and went up in the chimney and then through the long flue that double backed in the bench and then out the side/wall of the yurt. Being it was nearly 11 years ago I can’t be much more of a help than that, but please check out the mentioned book / resource for more info.