Kevin mccabe cob building pdf

A grand designer in devon is selling his house made from. In 2005 another cob newbuild, this time in worcestershire, won the royal institute. Kevin is not building a 10,000 sf home because he needs it. Cob, cobb or clom in wales is a natural building material made from subsoil, water, fibrous organic material typically straw, and sometimes lime. Sure, the contractor makes thousands, as does the construction industry as a whole, but what are you really paying for when you purchase a home, or worse whe. Cob really is not rocket science and with a little practice and experience anybody can do it. Building with cob falls under the umbrella of natural building. Of course cob houses dont have to be curvy though, they can be made with straight walls and right angles for that modern look.

Well, originally, i was brought up in a cob house in this part of the world, in east devon, a 400yearold cob house, so i. Fireproof, earthquakeresistant and very inexpensive to build with, cob can be used to make stunningly creative homes, sheds, benches and woodfired bread ovens. Cob house uk grand design see description yidir cars. Kevin mccabe, one of the uks leading living exponents of the prehistoric art of cob building, was determined to show how the method could be. The property was first featured on grand designs in 20 but is revisited on tonights episode, when presenter kevin mccloud discovers a stunning. If the cob house on the tv show inspires you to build your own then now is the time to book onto one of our how to build a cob.

The armstrong family designed and built a natural home for the family in lanseria, jhb in the rhenosterspruit nature conservancy. The home believed to be the largest cob building on the planet was built a stones throw. Thousands of cob houses and farm buildings survive in the south west. This mixture is then formed into cobs lumps of material which are then pressed together to form the walls of the structure. We specialise in the highquality repair of historic buildings, particularly those containing cob and, increasingly over the last 25 years, the construction of new cob buildings. Kevin mccabes cob building workshop as seen on grand designs. Kevin mccable ltd uk based cob building specialists.

Kevin mccabe s cob citadel as part of our months exploration of the theme of scaling up, i recently visited ottery st. Experience building sales solutions and leading media planning across a variety of verticals, including healthcare, retail, finance, education, entertainment, and sports. Building a cob oven is a great idea for a first project using cob. And journalists from the guardian, sunday telegraph, independent, sunday times newspapers and country living magazine to name a few, have written about the sublime. Hes building it to prove to others that it can be done. Mary in east devon to see kevin mccabe, his wife rose, and the extraordinary new cob house he has spent the last 3 years building. Around the same time, but independently, interest in. Media in category cob building material the following 51 files are in this category, out of 51 total. Building with cob cob house, cob house plans, cob building. On 12 february 2010 kevin was honoured with an international fellowship award for his outstanding contribution to building business and sporting relations between china and britain. Britains first brandnew cob home for three quarters of a century was built in devon in 1997 by kevin mccabe. Back in 2011 he didnt just want to build just a cob house he wanted to build a cob castle measuring an enormous 10,000 square feet, an almighty challenge. Best cob building books a list to guide you about what cob building is and how it is done.

Cob building specialist kevin mccabe has worked on numerous bespoke projects over the last 30 years, both nationally and internationally. But to finish the job he needs to raise extra funds so he is selling the neighbouring. Take a look inside kevin mccabes finished cob castle in east devon home. Cob is a natural building material made using mud, straw and lime that has been in use for millennia. I saw kevin mccabe did this with his cob citadel what issues do we face with this. Grand designs return to cob house that broke up a family. Inside the extraordinary lord of the ringsstyle cob. Cob is the answer it is one of the most ecofriendly construction materials which is incredibly strong and durable. The cob citadel in devon king of cob kevin mccabe realised his dream of building the largest cob house ever, with help from these suppliers wonderful on the outside, love the combo of ancient and modern methods and designs, then the inside lets it down. A grand designer in devon is selling his house made from mud. But for kevin king of cob mccabe, theres no other material like it and hes committed to showing us why.

One of the most popular natural building materials is called cob, which is created by taking the sand, water, clay and straw and mixing it often using your own two feet on a tarp until it is. The house was to be formed of two vast curved cob roundhouses connected by glazing and topped. Devon earth building association deba was founded in 1991 to provide a forum for issues relating to the conversation of earth buildings in devon and the south west of england, also to provide technical guidance on the repair and maintenance of earth buildings including renders, plasters and cob construction. A devon man is building what is thought to be the biggest cob house in the uk. Since then, cob building has enjoyed an upswing in popularity in england, particularly in devon.

There are also some recent examples of really large cob homes. Smith, and linda smiley, the handsculpted house25 i have to admit that i am a natural building novice. See here for more information about building regs and planning permission related to cob. Cob building techniques at building diy advice and tips. About we are a small company established in east devon with over 30 years experience specialising in the high quality repair of historic buildings particularly those containing cob and increasingly over the last 24 years the construction of new. Building a cob oven will let you get your hands dirty by learning how to make cob, a. Passivhaus levels of thermal performance, bringing cob to the cutting edge of uk. Mary town is this expansive cob house by kevin mccabe. By rob hopkins, transition culture as part of our months exploration of the theme of scaling up, i recently visited ottery st. It is quite similar to adobe in that the basic mix of clay and sand is the same, but it usually has a higher percentage of long straw fibers mixed in. Riverbend cob house cob house, cob house plans, cob building.

New cob structures with full building regs approval include the ribaawardwinning cobtun house and kevin mccabes house at keppel gate in devon. Unit operations of chemical engineering, 5th ed, mccabe and smith 0070448442. We are environmentally conscious but will have to compromise as we have a very fixed budget and will need a realistic r value on the side walls. Oct, 20 east devon cob house featured on grand designs. Dingle dell has attracted the attention of the world. Kevin king of cob mccabe and grand designs uk host kevin mccloud inside the finished cob castle. As the president of the carpenter contractor trust, he is responsible for the daily execution of goals by the board of trustees, as well as overseeing and implementing a rebranding marketing effort the union began five years ago one aimed at showing this is a new union for new times, one eager to work as economic development partner for businesses.

Kevin mccabe s cob citadel many properties have suffered major damage from the severe weather recently but kevin continues with his unique project. Mar 6, 2012 kevin mccable ltd uk based cob building specialists mar 6, 2012 kevin mccable ltd uk based cob building specialists mar 6, 2012 kevin mccable ltd uk based cob building specialists stay safe and healthy. Indeed, when kevin mccabe built his first cob house, back in 1994, it was the uks first to be constructed in this traditional way using earth, sand, straw and water for 70 years. A case study of cob earth based building technique in matagalpa, nicaragua lca perspective and rate of adoption mariana estrada master. Builders and the public alike are following the build of what has been identified as europes most significant cob building with bated breath. Having constructed several new cob buildings and acquired the adjoining site to keppel gate, kevin mccabe decided to build yet another but on a gigantic scale. Just go watch this video of the home that master cob builder in the uk, kevin mccabe is building. Kevin charles mccabe born 1948 is an english property business man.

Kevin mccabe received a lot of favorable press in 1994 for his twostory, fourbedroom cob house, the first new cob residence to be built in england in 70 years. Cob building is easy to learn, requires no special equipment, and uses sustainable materials. Kevin mccabe is the leading living exponent of the ancient art of building with cob a mixture of clay, sand, straw and water. The cob castle has been built by the king of cob himself, builder kevin mccabe from ottery st mary. In the uk, there are many thousands of old, still occupied cob buildings. The notion of building a cob house from mud and straw seems. Cob building earth building course with edwards eco building duration. Oct 22, 2019 grand designs cob house completed new devon house in traditional cob by kevin mccabe featured grand designs cob house in devon who built it and why dingle dell en the most requested grand designs revisit in history inside dingle dell kevin mccabe cob building specialist finished 1 exploring chicago, from skyscrapers to the works. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. The notion of building a cob house from mud and straw seems misplaced, crazy even, in a 21stcentury society dominated by new building materials and technologies. Thousands of cob houses and farm buildings survive in the south west, some dating from the 14th. Jan 23, 2011 here is a video of many cob projects i have done. The value of such a building will be found in its reflection of the highest. Cob building is one of the oldest building techniques and has been used for thousands of years.

Kevin mccabe is wrestling with mud on his dream home, dingle dell. Hes even constructed a 10,000 square foot cob citadel. Cob structures can be used as homes, chicken coops, barns, and even smaller ones for ovens. Devon earth building faq about cob and earth building. Dingle dell as seen on grand designs kevin mccabe cob. The cob citadel in devon creating the extended phenotype. He wanted to create a 10,000sq ft home out of cob, a natural building material made from soil, clay and straw. Grand designs return to cob house that broke up a family best ever. Kevin mccabe s cob house by umbazi updated about 8 years ago some pictures of kevin mccabe s impressive cob house seen at the devon earth building associations meeting. This building threw up many structural challenges but we were able to work through them with kevin to give the most economic and buildable solutions. Build something beautiful dingle dell posts facebook. They are able to build at fast speeds and it left davids mouth hanging open in terms of what can be done if one wants to put aside for a. I spent about the last 20 years repairing cob buildings, and probably the last 15 building new structures of one sort or another. Check out our resources for adapting to these times.

I am no expert but the guy in england kevin mccabe, that builds huge cob houses uses a dead man and a wooden rim and then attaches wood to wood for the roof and then covers the joints in with cob, fills the cob up to the roof beams. The materials used are earth, straw, sand and water which are then mixed either mechanically or by hand. Building a cob house introduction to cob construction. Made of claylike clumps of earth, cob homes are sculpted smooth with sloping walls.

Cob house construction is an ancient building technique using lumps of earth mixed with sand, straw, and water. The master craftsman featured on the hit channel 4 show, trying to achieve his dream in devon. It is a mix of sandysub soil, clay, straw and a bit of angular stonesgravel. Dec 2, 2017 take some subsoil containing a mix of clay, soil and sand, add some straw, mix it together. On our earth building workshops we encourage anyone to join us you definitely do not need any previous building experience to build with cob. A stepby stepguide24 the only proven way to learn about cob building is to try it. Grand designs followed kevin mccabe and as he embarked upon a build in devon in the spring of 2011. Cob building gets its name from the old english term for lump, which refers to the lumps of clayrich soil that were mixed with straw and then stomped into place to create monolithic earthen. Jonathan rhind is an architect based in barnstaple, north devon, and a champion of earth building, which in this area is called cob. For one example, kevin mccabe, a uk cob builder, has been building several large cob homes in england.

In november 2010, kevin mccabe announced that he would be stepping down as chairman of the club, to be replaced by vicechairman chris steer, who would take over as chairman in december. Incredible cob house tour a sustainable green building. Learning how to make and build with cob diy house building. He builds amazing structures and unlike in north america where cob is being built by purist eco people, kevin builds using pitch forks and jcbs. Grand designs returns to cob home seven years after it was. Back in 2011, kevin mccabe didnt just want to build just a cob house he wanted to build a cob castle measuring an enormous 10,000 square feet. Finally, seven years after it began, the herculean task of building this giant cob castle is complete. There are some more technical details that have to be paid attention to compared to the other projects that are listed below, but there is far less cob that has to be mixed overall. Your ideas, opinions and experienced guidance would be helpful. Builder kevin mccabe embarked on a wildly ambitious project to create a 10,000sq ft family home from cob an allnatural material made from compacted soil, clay and straw in april 2011. Built in devon, not far from us, it uses the traditional method of cob building. Dingle dell is one of the most ambitious and spectacular buildings to have.

In february 2016 we successfully installed an earth floor stage at the tara arts theatre in london. Dingle dell homes of distinction home barry honeysett. Back in 2011, kevin mccabe didnt just want to build just a cob house he. Grand designs return to cob house that broke up family. Mccabe strategic marketing communications professional with extensive experience in publisher and advertising agency organizations. Cob is a very old method of building with earth and straw or other fibers. Set into the thick walls of the two buildings that make up the house is a series of huge. A favourite on grand designs, he makes houses out of mud using his bare hands and is now on a mission to build a cob citadel. Unit operations of chemical engineering, 5th ed, mccabe and. Grand designs first followed kevin mccabe and as he embarked upon a build in devon in the spring of 2011. Discover the forgotten cob building technique that will help you build on a low budget your beautiful and safe home. In fact, he even mentions in the video that it is not the reason hes building it. Traditional british style cob buildings cob cottage company. We specialise in the highquality repair of historic buildings, particularly those containing cob and, increasingly over the last 25 years, the construction of new cob.

The contents of subsoil naturally vary, and if it does not contain the right mixture it can be modified with sand or clay. Cob is a mixture of subsoil with clay, small and large. Kevin mccabe, one of the uks leading living exponents of the prehistoric art of cob building, was determined to show how the method could be brought up to date to produce a luxury home that. The homes unique and curvaceous extension was built by the famous cob building women kate edwards and charlotte eve and has appeared on a channel 4 documentary, bbc one and two. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and uses lowcost materials, although it is very labour intensive. A selfbuild devon cob house demonstrates how smaller projects. Tara arts theatre, london kevin mccabe cob building specialist. Find company information for kevin mccabe cob building specialist in, your essential resource for up to date building product i. Nov 27, 20 kevin mccabe is the leading living exponent of the ancient art of cob building. Well, originally, i was brought up in a cob house in this part of the world, in east devon, a 400yearold cob house, so i knew it was a very pleasant material to live in. East devon cob house featured on grand designs devon live.

The cob technique cob is a building technique whereby excavated subsoil, the layer of material below the. In the south of england kevin mccabe built a spectacular 2500 sq ft cob home. Kevin mccloud explains the biggest mistake his grand designs home. Jan 28, 2018 the origins of insynch sustainable technologies are to be found in this project. But these days, very few people have the knowledge and the skills to build. I have had the benefit of his friendship, industry and wise counsel for over 25 years. A case study of cob earth based building technique in. But despite this, a devon man is building what is thought to be the biggest cob house in the uk. Cob, a vernacular earth construction process in the context of modern sustainable building article pdf available in building and environment 106 june 2016 with 1,823 reads how we measure reads. Kevin mccabe is the leading living exponent of the ancient art of cob building.

I learned how to build with cob through practice and playing. He knows the intricacies of the political, social and financial life of our city as a citizen, leader and enlightened policy advocate. Leslie cornell building restoration cornwall 22,470 views. Mary in east devon to see kevin mccabe, his wife rose, and the extraordinary new cob house he has. Besieged by problems, the house was still incomplete when the original show aired in 20, five years ago and the couple were forced to. Dingle dell is a devon mans dream coming into fruition. A few months before we started on our cob building henry we went to a natural building workshop an hour from where we live. The house has been designed to provide fantastic aesthetic, with an emphasis on longevity and environmental considerations. The home believed to be the largest cob building on the planet was built a.

The design being derived from the family needs neatly married with the design principles of passive design n. Pdf cob, a vernacular earth construction process in the. Wednesday next week you can see kevin mccabe s finished cob house on grand designs. As part of our months exploration of the theme of scaling up, i recently visited ottery st. Set in the beautiful rural site, just 1 mile from ottery st. Apr 15, 2014 as a former house builder i have a deeper confusion than the average person as to why we continue to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for stick built homes. But for kevin king of cob mccabe, theres no other material like it and hes. Build something beautiful dingle dell home facebook. One of the things we learnt at this workshop was how to make cob. This is a cob home built by kevin mccabe a cob builder in devon. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. Kevin mccabe cob building specialist specialising in the high quality repair of historic buildings particularly those containing cob. Grand designs cob house completed new devon house in traditional cob by kevin mccabe featured grand designs cob house in devon who built it and why dingle dell en the most requested grand designs revisit in history inside dingle dell kevin mccabe cob building specialist finished 1 exploring chicago, from skyscrapers to the works.