This event took place on Wednesday 22 January 2020.
Cob houses have existed in the south of England and northern France for centuries, and offer a sustainable alternative to popular building materials. But currently, there is not a cob material available that meets thermal regulations both in France and the UK.
So what if new approaches to this traditional building could conform to the regulations, and thus offer a viable alternative to current construction practices?
Researchers at the University with their partners in the UK and France, through the Interreg V FCE project CobBauge, aim to demonstrate that the ancient technique has a role to play in the future of modern low-carbon homes the construction industry.
They have created multiple cob mixes to test their thermal properties, and have produced a composite walling technique that offers the advantages of the ancient material and the performance of modern homes, both in respect of their construction uses and in their reduction of waste and CO2 emissions during the process, as compared to other masonry materials.
Hear the latest research in this innovative project directly from the researchers, and learn how this old-method-made-new could benefit the way we may be living in the future.
Programme
09:00 | Arrival and networking
09:30 | Presentations
- Professor Steve Goodhew, Associate Head (Research) of the School of Art, Design and Architecture, and project lead of CobBauge
- Dr Jim Carfrae, Research Fellow
- Matthew Fox, Research Fellow
10:30 | Exhibition: a hands-on look at the project, the materials, and how you could make your own cob from mud and natural materials.with Kevin Owen and Karen Hood-Cree.
11:30 | Site visit – to be confirmed
Who is this event for?
This event would be of most interest to those whose work involves the built environment, whether researchers or professionals in engineering, materials science, conservation, construction, physics, architecture, design and history.
