Have you ever wondered what hobbit houses are made of? The answer is a material called cob. It is a plastic, hand-mouldable natural building material that can be used to create massive structures, benches, ovens, sculptural forms, and even entire buildings. Cob is an ancient building material, yet still highly relevant today. Depending on the application, it can be freely sculpted by hand or rammed into a rectangular mould (for non-hobbits). When cob is formed into bricks, it is called adobe.
In this course, we explore the world of cob building in the historic setting of Fiskars Village. The course takes place at the Fiskars Circular House – an experimental environment for building techniques and materials currently under development, where Aalto University’s Wood Construction Experimental House (relocated from Otaniemi) and a straw bale garage are also located.
During the course, we will work through a combination of hands-on practice and a short theoretical introduction:
– The properties of clay and how to find the right mix proportions
– Preparation of cob material: clay, sand and straw
– Basic principles of hand-sculpted, mass cob construction
– Making adobe bricks using moulds
Each participant will create a cob totem, which can be taken home after it has dried. We will also experiment with cob in a massive wall structure (rammed cob using a French technique, as well as freely hand-built cob walls). In addition, we will produce adobe bricks and explore their use in construction.
Working with cob is physical, meditative, and highly engaging – a material that invites you to experiment and work with your hands.
The course is led by Johanna Hyrkäs: architect, professional clay builder, and researcher in clay construction at Aalto University.
Address: Isokiskontie 16, 10470 Fiskars