Building With Cob ─ A Step-by-step Guide

Cob building uses a simple mixture of clay subsoil, aggregate, straw, and water to create solid structural walls, built without shuttering or forms, on a stone plinth. This ancient practice has been used throughout Britain for centuries--in fact, the material is so strong and durable that it is currently in use for forty-five thousand houses in Cornwall, a county in southern England.

Building with Cob covers everything from design, planning, and siting to roofs, insulation, and floors. It is lavishly illustrated with more than three hundred inspirational color photographs. The authors have recently been commissioned to build a thirty-classroom school in England in 2006; it will be the largest new cob construction project in the Western hemisphere.

Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce work with lime and clay on a daily basis through their company, Cob in Cornwall. They learned these skills through restoring ancient vernacular buildings in Cornwall, and then began to apply the traditional techniques and materials to contemporary eco builds. They have a passionate belief in the power of these natural materials to benefit the health and well-being of people, buildings, and the environment. Adam and Katy live in Manaccan, Cornwall. Their books include Building With Cob: A Step-by-Step Guideand Using Natural Finishes: A Step-by-Step Guide.