<html><head><title>U. K. Cob</title> </head><body bgcolor="cc0000" text="000066" link="000066" vlink="000066" alink="000066"> <center> <img src="../banner.gif" usemap="#banner" border=0><p> <map name="banner"> <area coords="265,1,349,58" href="http://www.davidsheen.com"> <area coords="370,1,452,58" href="mailto:davidsheen@davidsheen.com"> </map> <a href="../ukcob"><img src="ukcob.jpg" alt="U. K. Cob" border=0></a><p> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=12> <tr><td width=345 valign=top> <font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2> Since it was first introduced to Oregon in the early 1990's, the cob building movement in North America has had little contact with its counterpart in the United Kingdom, where the word 'cob' originates from. We were told by our teacher Ianto Evans that there are something like 40,000 cob structures still in use today in the county of Devon alone. So, on my way back to Africa, I extended my stop-over in London to three weeks, so I would have a chance to check out the British cob scene.<p> Over the centuries, like any building, wear and tear will take their toll on old cob structures. Strict building laws in the U.K. demand that the structures be preserved or rebuilt in the same style with the same materials. So, at least half of the work of British natural builders consists of repairing old cob houses. They do this by using 'cob blocks' -- their name for what are essentially adobe bricks -- to patch up the holes in the wall, and using Nader Khalili-style 'helical ties' between the layers -- corkscrew-shape metal rods that function as barbed wire would with earthbags -- giving the wall some shear strength.<p> The reason for the prevalence of cob buildings in Devon is the composition of the subsoil. The earth here is usually a good mix of clay and sand to begin with, and small pebbles are already loosely scattered throughout, providing natural binder and aggregate. All that is needed is to add water and straw, put a few cows in a pen, and let them trudge through the mud until it's well mixed. The cob would be lifted from the mudpile onto the walls with pitchforks, then stomped on and packed down from above, and whacked on the sides to prevent the cob from spalling out.<p> Nowadays, the mixing of the cob, and lifting it onto the wall, is done industrially with a J.C.B., a large tractor with a bucket loader. Up to a metre of cob wall can be built in a day in this fashion, then left to dry for about a week. The 'lifts', or layers, are not sewn together by hand or a 'cobber's thumb' wooden stick, so, in a way, U.K. Cob is somewhat akin to rammed earth, only without the wooden forms -- which the British call "shuttering." The British Isles do not lie in a seismic zone, so tying the layers together is not a great concern for them. <p> Adam Weismann, an American, and Katy Bryce, a Brit, apprenticed with Ianto and the Cob Cottage Company, then returned to the U.K. to practice. They picked up cob restoration skills in Cornwall, West of Devon, then settled here and started up their own cob business. Jill Smallcombe and Jackie Abey and their respective families are British back-to-the-landers of sorts: 'city girls' that moved into 500-year old rural cob farmhouses in Devon, fixed them up, then started making earthen art. They've since built a massive cob complex at the Eden Project, Britain's Biosphere, to educate the public about cob. <p> </td> <td width=345 align=right valign=top> <font size=2> ÜêàÕâê ÔÑàÙÔ ÑçÕÑ ÑæäÕß ÐÞèÙçÔ, éÔÒÙâÔ ÜÐÕèÒÕß Ñê×ÙÜê éàÕê Ô-90', ÔÙÔ ÞâØ ÞÐÓ çéè ÜÞçÑÙÜêÔ ÑÞÞÜÛÔ ÔÞÐÕ×Óê éÔÙÐ ÔÞçÕè ÜÞÙÜÔ "çÕÑ". ÔÞÕèÔ éÜàÕ ÐÙÙàØÕ ÐÕÕàá ÐÞè ÜàÕ éÙéàÝ ÑâèÚ 40000 ÞÑàÙ çÕÑ ÑéÙÞÕé âÓÙÙß ÑÞ×ÕÖ ÓÑÕß ÑÜÑÓ. ÛÚ éÑÓèÛÙ ×ÖèÔ ÜÐäèÙçÔ, ÔÐèÛêÙ Ðê âæÙèêÙ ÑÜÕàÓÕß ÜéÔÕê éÜ éÜÕéÔ éÑÕâÕê, ÑÔÝ êÔÙÔ ÜÙ ÔÖÓÞàÕê ÜÑÓÕç Ðê áæÙàê ÔçÕÑ ÔÑèÙØÙê. <p> ÑÞéÚ ÞÐÕê éàÙÝ, ÛÞÕ ÛÜ ÑàÙÙß, ÔÑÜÙÙÔ ÔØÑâÙê âÕéÔ Ðê éÜÔ ÒÝ ÑÞÑàÙ çÕÑ. ×ÕçÙ ÑàÙÔ àÕçéÙÝ ÑÞÞÜÛÔ ÔÞÐÕ×Óê ÓÕèéÙÝ éÞÑàÙÝ ÙéêÞèÕ ÐÕ ÙÑàÕ Þ×Óé ÑÐÕêÕ áÒàÕß ÕÞÐÕêÝ ×ÕÞèÙÝ. ÞÛÐß éÜä×Õê ×æÙ Þàä× ÔâÑÕÓÔ éÜ ÔÑàÐÙÝ ÔØÑâÙÝ ÑÑèÙØàÙÔ ÔÕÐ éÙäÕå éÜ ÑêÙ çÕÑ ÙéàÙÝ. ÔÝ âÕéÙÝ ÖÐê êÕÚ éÙÞÕé Ñ"ÑÜÕçÙÝ éÜ çÕÑ" -- ÔéÝ éàÙêß ÜÞÔ éÔÕÐ ÑÞÔÕêÕ ÜÑàÙÝ éÜ ÐÓÕÑÔ -- ÜÔØÜÐÔ éÜ Ô×ÕèÙÝ ÑçÙèÕê, ÕÑ"çéèÙÝ ÔÜÙçÜÙÝ" ÑáÒàÕß àÐÓè ×ÜÙÜÙ ÑÙß ÔéÛÑÕê -- ÞÕØÕê ÑèÖÜ ÑæÕèê äÕê×ß ÑçÑÕçÙÝ éÞÞÜÐÙÝ Ðê ÐÕêÔ äÕàçæÙÔ é×ÕØ êÙÙÜ ÔÙÔ ÞÞÜÐ ÛÓÙ Ü×Ñè ÑÙß éçÙ ÐÓÞÔ -- éàÕêàÙÝ ÜçÙè ×ÕÖç. <p> ÔáÙÑÔ ÑÖÛÕêÔ àäÕæÙÝ ÑêÙ çÕÑ ÑÓÑÕß ÔèÛÑ Ôçèçâ. ÔÐÓÔ ÛÐß ÔÙÐ ÑÓèÚ ÛÜÜ éÙÜÕÑ ØÕÑ éÜ ×èáÙê Õ×ÕÜ ÑêÕè Ôê×ÜÔ ÕÑàÕáã ÐÑàÙÝ / ×ÜÕçÙ à×Ü çØàÙÝ ÞäÕÖèÙÝ ÑÐÕäß ×ÕäéÙ ÑÔ, ÞáäçÙÝ Þ×Ñè ØÑâÙ ÕÐÒèÒØ. ÛÜ éàÓèé ÔÕÐ ÜÔÕáÙã ÜÔ ÞÙÝ Õçé, ÜÔÛàÙá ÛÞÔ äèÕê ÜÒÓèÔ ÕÜêê ÜÔÝ ÜÑæÑå âÓ éÔêâèÕÑ ÞÕÛàÔ. Ðê ÔçÕÑ ÙèÙÞÕ ÞâèÕê ÔÑÕå ÑâÖèê ÞÖÜÒÕê ÔèÞÔ ÜÐ ÔçÙèÕê ÕÐ×è ÛÚ ÙÓèÛÕ âÜÙÕ ÕÙÜ×æÕ âÜÙÕ ÞÜÞâÜÔ ÕÙØä×Õ âÜÙÕ ÞÔæÓÓÙÝ âÜ Þàê ÜÞàÕâ ÞÞàÕ ÜÔêäÖè. <p> ÛÙÕÝ âèÑÕÑ ÔçÕÑ ÕÔÔèÞÔ ÐÜ ÔçÙèÕê àâéÙÝ ÑÐÕäß êâéÙÙêÙ âÜ ÙÓÙ Ò'ÙÙ áÙ ÑÙ, ØèçØÕè ÒÓÕÜ âÜ Ûã ÔèÞÔ. àÙêß ÜÑàÕê ÛÚ âÓ ÞØè éÜ çÙè çÕÑ ÑÙÕÝ ÕÜÔàÙ× ÜÕ ÜÔêÙÙÑé ÛéÑÕâ. Ô"ÔèÞÕê" ÐÕ éÛÑÕê ÜÐ "àêäèÕê" Ù×Ó ÑÙÓ ÐÕ Ñ"ÐÒÕÓÜ éÜ çÕÑÙáØ" (ÞçÜ) ÛÚ éÑâæÝ çÕÑ ÑÞÞÜÛÔ ÔÞÐÕ×Óê ÓÕÞÔ çæê ÜÑàÙÔ ÑÐÓÞÔ àÒÕ×Ô äéÕØ ÑÜÙ êÑàÙÕê Ôâå -- ÜÔß çÕèÐÙÝ ÔÑèÙØÙÝ "êèÙáÙÝ". ÔÐÙÙÝ ÔÑèÙØÙÝ ÜÐ àÞæÐÙÝ ÑÐÙÖÕè ÔÞÕâÓ ÜèâÙÓÕê ÐÓÞÔ ÕÜÛß çéÙèê ÔéÛÑÕê Ù×Ó ÐÙàÔ ×éÕÑÔ ÜÔÝ ÛÜ ÛÚ. <p> ÐÓÝ ÕÕÙáÞß, ÐÞèÙçÐÙ, ÕçÙÙØÙ ÑèÙÙá, ÑèÙØÙê, ÔéêÜÞÕ ÛéÕÜÙÕê âÝ ÐÙÙàØÕ ÐÕÕàá Õ×Ñèê çÕÑ çÕØÒ' ÕÐÖ ×ÖèÕ ÜÞÞÜÛÔ ÔÞÐÕ×Óê ÜâéÕê âÑÕÓÔ ÞâéÙê. ÔÝ ÜÞÓÕ éÙçÕÝ çÕÑ ÔçÕèàÕÕÜ, ÞâèÑÙê ÜÓÑÕß ÕÐ×è ÛÚ ÔêÙÙéÑÕ äÔ ÕÔê×ÙÜÕ âáç âæÞÐÙ. Ò'ÙÜ áÞÕÜçÕÞÑ ÕÒ'çÙ ÐÑÙÙ âÝ Þéä×ÕêÙÔÝ, ÔÝ ÑèÙØÙÕê Þâß ×ÕÖèÕê Ü×ÙÙÝ ØÑâÙÙÝ -- "âÙèÕàÙÕê" éâÑèÕ ÜÑêÙ ×ÕÕÔ ÑàÙ 500 éàÔ ÑÓÑÕß, áÓèÕ ÐÕêÝ ÕÐÖ Ôê×ÙÜÕ ÜÙæÕè ÐÕÞàÕê ÑÐÓÞÔ. ÞÐÖ Ôß ÑàÕ çÕÞäÜçá çÕÑ è×Ñ ÔÙçã ÑäèÕÙçØ âÓß, ÔÑÙÕáäèÔ ÔÑèÙØÙê, éàÕâÓ Ü×àÚ Ðê ÔæÙÑÕè ÜÒÑÙ çÕÑ. <p> </td></tr><tr><td colspan=2> <center><img src="ukcob00.jpg"><p></center> </td></tr><tr><td width=345 valign=top> <font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2> Kevin McCabe, also based in Devon, is building massive mansions for the high-end housing market that have the potential to bring cob back to the masses of the British middle class. The walls are built up to a metre thick at the base in order to bring the walls' insulation value up, which bumps the building up into higher "eco-category," according to prescriptive U.K. Building Codes. Engineers insist this thickness is not necessary, however, to achieve the 3- and 4-storey heights that Kevin's buildings easily reach!<p> Devon even has its own Intersection Repair, you might say; in fact, that's what started off this whole cob building renaissance 20 years ago. Alfie Howard noticed that the local kids had to wait around in the rain for the bus to come pick them up for school. Before the war, his father had taught him how to build from cob, so he got permission from the town council to build a cob bus shelter, and the rest is history. Since then, there have not been any public structures built from cob in the U.K.; maybe it's time the Yanks returned the favour, and transplant a chapter of City Repair over there!<p> In England, cob building is not intimately tied to ecological consciousness and a leftist lifestyle, the way it is in the United States and Canada. In some ways, it is just the opposite; it is traditionalists that are avid fans of cob, those that long for a United Kingdom of yesteryear. For that reason, there isn't the dogmatic insistence on low embedded-energy methods of construction that many North American practitioners of cob are particularly fond of. Industrial equipment is not considered the bane of cob builders in the U.K., but the means by which they can compete in the capitalist marketplace.<p> I consider myself squarely in the hardcore Deep Ecology camp, because I believe that only when they get their hands and feet all muddy will people have personal transformations. But once you've had that transformation, your task is then to transform the landscape, and the best way to do that may be a combination of low-tech and high-tech methods, while that option is available. I am eager to apply these new lessons sometime soon, and figure out how one might incorporate some of these methods and push the natural building envelope even further.<p> Thanks again to everyone who put up with us, and put us up, as we roamed the English countryside, in search of all things cob, and to Peter Solti, who took a lot of these photographs of beautiful U. K. Cob. Enjoy!<p> Enjoy!<p> </font> </td><td width=345 valign=top align=right> <font size=2> çÕÕÙß Þç'çÙÙÑ, ÒÝ ÔÕÐ ÞÑÕáá ÑÓÑÕß, ÑÕàÔ ÑêÙ äÐè ÜâéÙèÕß ÔâÜÙÕß éÜ éÕç ÔàÓÜ"ß. ÛÚ ÒÓÜÙÝ ÔáÙÛÕÙÙÝ ÜÔ×ÖÙè Ðê ÔçÕÑ ÜêÕÓâê ÔÞâÞÓ ÔÑÙàÕàÙ ÔÑèÙØÙ. ÑáÙá ÔçÙèÕê ÔÕÐ âÓ ÞØè ÑâÕÑÙÕ âÜ Þàê ÜÔâÜÕê Ðê âèÚ ÔÑÙÓÕÓ, ÓÑè ÔÞÑÙÐ Ðê ÔÑÙê ÜçØÒÕèÙÔ ÐçÕÜÕÒÙê ÒÑÕÔÔ, ÜäÙ áØàÓèØÙ ÔÑàÙÔ ÔÑèÙØÙÙÝ. ÞÔàÓáÙÝ ØÕâàÙÝ éÐÙß æÕèÚ ÑâÕÑÙ ÛÖÔ âÜ Þàê ÜÔÒÙâ ÜÑàÙß ÑÒÕÑÔ 3 âÓ 4 çÕÞÕê, ÒÕÑÔ âÜÙÕ ÞÒÙâÙÝ ÔÑêÙÝ éÑÕàÔ çÕÕÙß ÑçÜÕê! <p> ÜÓÑÕß Ùé ÐäÙÜÕ "êÙçÕß æÞêÙÝ" ÞéÜÔ, Ðäéè ÜÔÒÙÓ éÛÚ Ôê×ÙÜÔ Ô×ÙÙÐê ÔÑàÙÔ ÑçÕÑ ÛÐß ÜäàÙ 20 éàÔ. ÐÜäÙ ÔÕÕÐèÓ éÝ ÜÑ éÔÙÜÓÙÝ ÔÞçÕÞÙÙÝ Þ×ÛÙÝ ÜÐÕØÕÑÕá ÑÙê Ôáäè ÑÒéÝ. ÜäàÙ ÞÜ×Þê âÕÜÝ ÔéàÙÔ, ÐÑÙÕ ÜÙÞÓ ÐÕêÕ ÞçÕÑ, ÛÚ éÔÕÐ ÔéÙÒ ÐÙéÕè ÞÔèéÕê ÔÞçÕÞÙê ÜÑàÕê ê×àê ÔáâÔ, ÔéÐè ÔÙÐ ÔáØÕèÙÔ. ÞÐÖ ÜÐ àÑàÔ éÕÝ ÞÑàÔ æÙÑÕèÙ ÞçÕÑ ÑÞÞÜÛÔ ÔÞÐÕ×Óê -- ÐÕÜÙ ÖÔ ÔÖÞß éÔÙÐàçÙÝ Ù×ÖÙèÕ ØÕÑÔ ÕÙéêÙÜÕ Þ×Óé Þ×ÜçÔ éÜ "êÙçÕß âÙè" éÝ! <p> ÑÐàÒÜÙÔ ÔÑàÙÔ ÑçÕÑ ÐÙàÔ çéÕèÔ çéè ÐÙàØÙÞÙ ÜÞÕÓâÕê ÐçÕÜÕÒÙê ÕáÒàÕß ×ÙÙÝ éÞÐÜàÙ, ÛäÙ éçÕèÔ ÑÐèÔ"Ñ ÕçàÓÔ. ÑâæÝ ÖÔ ÑÓÙÕç ÔÔäÚ -- ×áÙÓÙ ÔÞáÕèê ÔÝ ÐÕÔÓÙ ÔçÕÑ, ÐÜÔ ÔÞêÒâÒâÙÝ ÜÞÞÜÛÔ ÔÞÐÕ×Óê éÜ äâÝ. ÞÛÐß ÒÝ àÕÑâ ×Õáè ÔÓÕÒÞØÙÕê ÕÐÙ ÔÔêâçéÕê éÜ éÙØÕê ÑàÙÔ ×á×àÙÕê ÑÐàèÒÙÔ éèÕÑ ÞÑæâÙ ÔçÕÑ ÑæäÕß ÐÞèÙçÔ ÛÜ ÛÚ ÐÕÔÑÙÝ. æÙÕÓ êâéÙÙêÙ ÜÐ à×éÑ ÛÞÕçæÔ âÚ ÙÓÙ ÑàÐÙ ÔçÕÑ ÑÞÞÜÛÔ ÔÞÐÕ×Óê, ÜÔäÚ ÖÕ ÔÓèÚ ÑÔ ÔÝ ÙÛÕÜÙÝ ÜÔêÞÕÓÓ ÑéÕç ÔçäÙØÜÙáØÙ. <p> ÐàÙ Þ×éÙÑ Ðê âæÞÙ ÑêÕÚ ÔÒèâÙß ÔçéÔ éÜ Þ×àÔ ÔÐçÕÜÕÒÙÔ ÔâÞÕçÔ, ÞÛÙÕÕß éÐàÙ ÞÐÞÙß éèç ÛÐéè ÐàéÙÝ ÞÜÛÜÛÙÝ Ðê ÙÓÙÔÝ ßÛäÕê èÒÜÙÔÝ ÑÑÕå ÔÝ ÞéêàÙÝ ÑÐÞê ÑÐÕäß ÐÙéÙ. ÐÜÐ éÑèÒâ ééÙàÕÙ ÖÔ çÕèÔ, êäçÙÓÚ ÔÕÐ ÜéàÕê Ðê ÔàÕã, ÕÔÓèÚ ÔØÕÑÔ ÑÙÕêè ÜâéÕê ÖÐê ÔÙÐ Þß ÔáêÝ éÙÜÕÑ éÜ ØÛàÕÜÕÒÙÔ ÒÑÕÔÔ ÕàÞÕÛÔ ÛÜ ÖÞß éÔÕÐ ÐäéèÙ. ÐàÙ Þ×ÛÔ ÑçÕæè èÕ× ÜÔÖÓÞàÕê ÜÙÙéÝ Ðê ÔéÙâÕèÙÝ Ô×ÓéÙÝ ÔÐÜÔ ÕÜÒÜÕê ÐÙÚ àÙêß ÜÔÛÜÙÜ Ðê ÔéÙØÕê ÔÐÜÔ ÛÓÙ ÜÓ×Õã Ðê ÔÑàÙÔ ÔØÑâÙê Ðã è×Õç ÙÕêè. <p> éÕÑ êÕÓÔ ÜÛÜ éáÑÜÕ ÐÕêàÕ ÑÑêÙÔÝ ÑÞÔÜÚ éÙØÕØÙàÕ Ñè×ÑÙ ÐàÒÜÙÔ ÔÛäèÙê Ñ×ÙäÕé Ð×è ÛÜ ÔÓÑèÙÝ ÞçÕÑ ÕÜäÙØè áÕÜØÙ, éæÙÜÝ èÑÕê ÞêÞÕàÕê ÐÜÔ éÜ ÔçÕÑ ÔÑèÙØÙ ÔÙäÙÙäÙÔ. <p> êÔàÕ! <p> </font> </td></tr><tr> <td><center> <font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4><a href="ukcob01.htm"><b>Begin the Slideshow</b></a><p> <a href="toc.htm"><b>Slideshow Table of Contents</b></a><p> </font></center></td><td><center> <font size=4><a href="ukcob01.htm"><b>Ôê×Ü ÞæÒê</b></a><p> <a href="toc.htm"><b>êÕÛß ÔÞæÒê</b></a><p> </font></center></td></tr> </table><p> </center> </body></html>