Cob house

What are Cob Houses?

The Cob Houses are houses built in raw earth, a mixture made of clay, sand, straw and water, with characteristics of great resistance, functionality and eco-sustainability.

The term cob makes, in fact, its own reference to this set of natural, ecological and recycled elements.

There are numerous advantages of this type of construction:

speed of realization
low-cost investment
eco-sustainability
healthiness.

Cob House features

The experience of the Cob House is now spreading all over the world and the buildings constructed in raw earth, have similar features everywhere:

they are usually small in size because they are produced independently by the owner for himself and his family
they use only local materials, in full compliance with the cob philosophy that requires the exploitation of local resources
give ample space to imagination and artistic inspiration: the cob houses, in fact, have an aspect that goes beyond the classic architectural standards and can take very different and extravagant forms
construction implies sociality because it involves family and friends and offers ample opportunity for socialization.

Quality of life in Cob Houses

Living in a Cob House offers great opportunities also in terms of quality of life.

The houses have high energy efficiency, constituting a thermal mass that absorbs sunlight and naturally heats the rooms throughout the day, keeping them cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The walls also allow good sound insulation, making the interiors isolated from noise and quiet.
The materials offer a remarkable healthiness to the inhabitants because they do not contain chemical materials and are free of polluting substances.
The walls are breathable and there’s good air exchange.
The straw used together with the earth, sand and water is a compact and resistant unit that ensures certain security even against earthquakes.
The same materials are also fire resistant.
The use of materials available locally or recycled makes it possible to build at a very low cost. In addition to the natural materials used in the construction, it is possible to add fixtures and furnishings purchased in flea markets or destined for landfills and refurbished.

Below you can find places where you could potentially volunteer and learn more about Cob houses/buildings.