Cob houses are pretty amazing, right? They are beautiful, for sure, but they are also practical and inexpensive to build, as they are constructed mostly with locally sourced and recycled materials. You might not think a home made with mud and straw could possibly withstand the elements for very long, but there are cob homes in England that have been standing for over 500 years! Cobworks , one of the original cob building companies in North America, specializes in building these gorgeous houses and in hosting workshops to teach others how to build their own.
This home is one of Cobworks’ creations, built in 2005 during a 9-week apprenticeship. I love the green color – look how well it complements the surrounding area! The tree sculpted near the entryway features a leaf for each person who helped on the construction of the house.
The home is built into the side of a hill that overlooks a cow pasture on Don and Shanti McDougall’s organic farm on Mayne Island, B.C. Every stone for the foundation, as well as the logs, clay, and the hay to mulch the living roof came from the farm. Slabs of sandstone were used for the window sills and the shelves in the niche in the wall.
The interior is spectacular, with several cob elements built right into the walls, including shelves and the white sofa in the main living area.
In the kitchen, cob makes up the countertop base and the seating bench around the table. Though there are no windows on the north side of the house, the rest of the windows and skylights allow plenty of light to enter the house.
A soaker tub sits along the south wall of the bedroom in a little nook with many creative elements carved into the surrounding walls.
A fence keeps cows from walking onto the living roof, which transitions seamlessly into the hill on the north side of the house.
Images via Cobworks. Be sure to check out their website to see more of their projects and information on upcoming workshops.
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