Cob Home Engineering and Design for Natural Structures
Natural Building with Modern Cob Houses
At PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc., we are committed to sustainability and promoting natural building techniques with our designs. That’s why we offer engineering consultation services for clients who are interested in cob homes. Cob is a sustainable and natural building material that is typically made with straw, water, clay or subsoil. Cob is one of the lesser-known sustainable options for creating homes.
What is a Cob home?
Cob homes are highly creative, individual yet, can blend in beautifully with the environment. Literally formed by hand and then kneaded like dough into form, it lends itself to gracious curving, flowing walls, roofs and décor. Cob is the British word for lump or rounded mass used for centuries in the traditional mud buildings throughout the UK. They can be used as infill or completely load-bearing. It is likely the oldest earth-building and certainly the simplest. It requires no equipment, is perfect for self-building, highly sculptural, and is completely recyclable, non-toxic and sustainable.
Cob structures are:
- Extremely economical.
- Insect proof, fire proof, wind and earthquake resistant, and can last for hundreds of years.
- Cob structures offer exceptional flexibility in design, and because of its extraordinary thermal mass, are ideally suited for solar heating and cooling and have a sense of quiet.
What are the benefits?
Designing a cob home offers several benefits, which can allow for unique experiences in the design process. The oldest cob home is still standing after centuries in the United Kingdom, so it’s clear that durability is not a concern when it comes to cob home building.
Other benefits include:
- Low cost of building
- Natural earthen materials & no toxic emissions
- Energy efficient
- Termite & fire Proof
- Opportunity for creativity in design and implementation
Are There Disadvantages to Cob?
Though there are several benefits to choosing a cob home, the unique material of cob also has some disadvantages, which should also be considered depending upon the location of your project and the intended use of the cob structure.
- Material does not provide a large amount of insulation during seasonal changes
- The actual building process can take longer due to the nature of the material
- Some municipalities do not allow cob homes to be built due to building code restriction
Project Spotlight: 1st Commercial Code-Approved Earthen Building on the East Coast!
In 2016, PSE Consulting Engineers was approached by a client that was interested in building an Eco-Heal Center out of cob. The client had an excellent vision, along with ready-made architectural plans for our team of engineers to review. After discussing the project further with him, PSE Consulting Engineers decided to make the leap and take on the design for the cob building.
The cob Eco-Heal Center turned out to be a great success and is known as the first commercial code-approved earthen building on the east coast. The cob Eco-Heal Center also contained a living roof, which adds an amazing touch to the look of the building and the sustainable feel of the structure.
The cob Eco-Heal Center is a 1500 sq ft, 12-sided earthen building completed in the spring of 2017. Being the first commercial code-approved earthen building in the United States, the Eco-Heal Center is an educational hub for those seeking an economic, practical, and efficient way to build naturally. The client’s choice to build with cob added many beneficial elements to the completed Eco-Heal Center, and they are still enjoying the natural cob structure today.
Interested in planning and starting a cob home design project? PSE Consulting Engineers rovides the engineering and design solutions you need to take your cob building project to the next stage. Contact us today for a quote!
