cob in the community

Cob in the Community

building communities naturally

Forty Hall Community Vinyard

October 2011

The making of an organic vineyard - this will be managed by a team of volunteers and, all told, the cob oven will be put to great use!

Stopping for a snack!

The heavens opened so day two of the build was done under a very handy gazebo. Both the plinth and the arch were mortared using 1 part lime to 3 parts sand.

Our 2 day oven build was a wonderful community experience involving 16 people aged from 11 to 75 happily jumping around in sand, clay and straw to make cob, laughing and joking as cob balls were hurled down competitive lines and finally working together making the oven with pride and care and ... our hands! Very satisfying. Even a spot of rain could not dampen our enthusiasm! If you haven't done this have a go - its great fun - can highly recommend! Thanks Linda and Frankie for a fun event.
Louise Ely , Event Organiser and Vineyard Champion.

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Cob oven workshop Oasis Children's Nature Reserve, London

"We love our new oven! Linda was a total joy to work with and made the course professional and lots of fun. 100% recommended. Thank you." Harriet, Oasis Children's Nature Reserve

Cob oven workshop South London http://www.oasisplay.org.uk/naturegarden.html

Over 15 local residents and community workers joined us on sunny weekend in October at the Oasis Nature reserve to build a cob oven. It was a great weekend - warm enough for a bare foot cob dance!

For more photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coconino/6255268406/in/set-72157627793191433/see

or http://www.webjam.com/cob_in_the_community/image_gallery

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Bringing Community together to build and bake

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Making Cob at The Well Oiled Festival,

Transition Finsbury Park September 2011

The Challenge making cob.jpg flyer_2.preview.jpg

Cob in the Community worked with Transition Finsbury Park at the Well Oiled Festival September 2011, to run a cob workshop with volunteers from the The Challenge . Their tasks was to help fundraise and make cob bricks for the Eco Hut project at Meadow Orchard. Shaping the cob into balls for easy transporting.jpg The cob toss - moving the cob balls to position across a crowded festival field.jpg

The team first learnt about cob as a sustainable building method then set to work making cob, shaping this into balls for moving across a busy festival field via a "cob toss". The mix was a wee bit dry - my fault I was trying to spare the new trainers some folk were sporting but mostly the aim was to get as many folk stuck in as possible. The preferred method of getting the cob into the cob brick frames seemed to be using a conventional fired building brick to whack these in.

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The Challenge sent along a fantastic team who were a pleasure to work with, picked up the theory and practice faster than you can say mud. Next week they will be taking part in a live build over at Meadow Orchard.

making brick - mix was a bit dry and preferred method seemed to be to ram the cob in with a traditional baked brick.jpg

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Earth Kitchen N London Primary School

North London's 1st Earth Kitchen

In 2009 we were approached by our local primary school to build an earth kitchen. Working with children from all age groups we built:

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A cob oven

A series of benches

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A cupboard - encased in cob

We were blown away by the response and thank you cards "best thing we have ever done in our school" said one of our young earth builders from year 6

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A ‘Rain Temple’ made of earth? Sculpted earth bench at Vauxhall City Farm - VCF 2010

The bench foundation was made from car tires rammed with earth. The tires act as a foundation to raise the bench from the ground below. This stops moisture and water getting to the earth bench
The bench is made of cob – a mix of sub soil, straw from the farm, and sand.
The cob was rendered natural linseed. This helps make it water resistant.
The wooden aspects came from scrap pieces found around the farm which originally came after the storm in London in the 1980"s.
We used poured cob to set the floor

Inspiration for one of the benches - the Leaf Bench came from the Ecology Garden logo.

The process

We started working in winter 2009. VCF Triage volunteers smashed away at the cement and wire that covered the existing structure. The cement was cracking and in need of regular repair. The cement was holding in water and the damp rising from the ground below. We removed the cement and replaced this with an earth based cob cover. Cob “breathes”.

We worked with VCF Young farmers to come up with ideas and designs for the cob bench. They based their ideas on their inspirations of working at VCF farm. We discussed who how they wanted the structure to work as an area for play and learning about ecology. The Young Farmers made 3d models, we documented these and used them as the basis for the design you see here today.

The cob was mixed by community and corporate volunteers from HSBC, RICS, Lloyds, and members of the public and friends of Vauxhall City Farm.

The structure was funded by SITA and completed in 2010. Cob in the Community would like to thank everyone at Vauxhall City Farm and all the friends who have been part in making this structure. Most of all we would like to thank the unsung heros of ecology, the worms and insects and beetles that this area of the farm celebrates.