Hand-made cob in Stoke Newington

Inspired by the work of Ianto Evans and his Cob Cottage Company in Oregon, Chris Adair set up a company called ‘Growing.org Ltd.’ in London. The company is devoted to building structures and houses in natural and re-used/reclaimed materials, fully integrated into their surroundings.
The company’s first project, a cob studio, has now been completed in Adair’s own back garden in Stoke Newington.

Location and Design

The location of the studio was chosen following the principle that buildings should be erected in the worst looking parts of the land so as to preserve the best-looking areas and secure a view. To this effect a far-end corner of the garden was selected, that was piled up with junk, hidden behind the trees and the furthest away from the house.

The orientation of the building was determined by the principle of passive solar heating. The site chosen opens up on the south/south-east and it is in this direction that the main areas of glazing face.

Integration of the building with the landscape followed naturally from choosing cob as the prime material – matching the colours and textures of the ground and plants. The cob was complemented with the choice of turf for the roof. The roof was designed so as to be lower than the nearby West Reservoir bank so as to blend naturally with the immediate topography.

Another ideological commitment was to disturb the local environment as little as possible. The challenge consisted in not cutting a single tree. This was achieved by shaping the house around the existing elements of the garden, curving the walls in a way specific to the location. The studio inherently became a unique feature, a kind of negative print of the site.

Curves not only preserve the outer environment but influence the inner one too. Following Ianto Evans’ philosophy Adair believes that few or no sharp projections inside a house helps to ease away stress and anxiety, by smoothing the visual environment and enlarging the perceived space.
The studio is set to be an art workshop as well as a meeting place; the space is consequently divided by the curves of the walls into an entrance hall, a kitchen/art workshop and a meeting area. Each of these parts requires a specific space, the final design being a balance between the inner and the outer constraints.

Techniques and Materials

Being able to design such an uncommon shape is largely due to the nature of the walling material. The Cob is composed of clay, sand, straw and water mixed together on a tarpaulin and added directly onto the wall without any pre-shaping. The cob is simply massaged into the existing wall, no matter what curve it follows.
Adair decided to use very few power tools so as to reduce to the minimum his impact on the site. The mixing process was therefore completed with feet and the walls raised by hand- linking the project to the traditional cobbing techniques used in most parts of Europe. It is of course still possible though to improve the production rate by using machines to mix cob.

The clay (around 25% of the cob) for the building was retrieved as a waste product from local building sites. The remaining constituent, sand, was recycled roadwork stones crushed into a sand sharp enough to be used for cobbing. The binder, straw, is also a waste product.

The roof structure is made of antique pine that was reclaimed in various demolition sites across London, with age ranging from 200 to 400 years. All these materials are cheap and come from sustainable sources.

Apart from it’s natural availability, cob possesses several positive technical attributes:
- thermal mass – the capacity to retain and release heat when needed – in this way the walls and floor become effective heat stores.
- cob regulates humidity and so contributes to a healthier atmosphere
- cob is extremely durable. Countless examples of its longevity exist throughout the world, with houses 500 years old still standing in Devon.

All these characteristics make the cob a reliable, easy to use material, encouraging self-building. The evidence can be found in the growing number of workshops available worldwide where more and more people learn how to build their own houses.

Perspectives

Adair puts the idea of self-building at the core of his company’s future projects with particular emphasis on the involvement of users and the local community coupled with a proposed training centre as a communal resource.

Growing.org is currently seeking opportunities in an urban environment where Adair believes that natural building is most needed and can inspire a greater number of people.

Further information

• Growing.org
• The Hollies Centre for Practical Sustainability, Ireland
• ‘The Hand-Sculpted House’ by Ianto Evans, Michael G. Smith and Linda Smiley, Chelsea Green, 2002