This article is from page 33 of the 2010-02-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
PEOPLE in north Clare are going back to the future by learning how to use the ancient form of cob building to construct sheds and other struc- ebdeny
Cob building involves mixing clay, straw, sand and water which is then worked into a wall in a proc- ess known as cobbing. The process, which has been used in Clare since pre-historic times, has been regain- ing its popularity in recent times as people look for environmentally- friendly ways of building structures.
This has prompted the Boghill Centre in Kilfenora to begin a new
course on cob building. The course, which begins later this month, will guide people in how to use the tech- nique.
“Cob building is very low-tech, re- quiring only simple tools and a large amount of time. Unlike conventional modern building with heavy cement blocks, cob is a very democratic building material. You can pick up large or small handfuls of the mix- ture meaning that anyone can join in, the elderly, small children, it’s not the exclusive domain of well-mus- cled young men,” said Kim Harrison from the Boghill Centre.
“The really nice thing about this material is that it is easily sculpted,
so you don’t need to have any hard edges and space-wasting corners. Your creativity 1s unleashed as you shape an_ aesthetically pleasing structure, curving and undulating in whatever way you wish.”
Besides being an inexpensive way of building, cob also provides sound insulation, 1S non-toxic and non-al- lergenic.
“Not only does it require little ener- gy to construct compared to modern building methods and materials, but sourcing the materials locally means it has a very low environmental im- pact,” continued Kim.
“The thick walls, usually around 24cm, have a high thermal mass –
this means they have the ability to store heat within the wall and release it very slowly. This makes cob build- ings easy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. Heat is soaked up by the wall in the daytime, travelling at one inch per hour, then continues its journey through the wall heating the inside air during the night, leaving the walls cool again for the follow- TU NTSaKO Ne
“The combination of cob and pas- sive solar heating as heat from sun- light entering through large south- facing windows can create a house that requires little additional heat- rhea
Visit www.boghill.com for details.