Building Cob Castles in East Devon... on Grand Designs

This evening's show on Channel 4:

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  East Devon, 2013

  Kevin meets a master craftsman whose dream is to build a castle made entirely of mud.

  Kevin McCabe is the leading living exponent of the ancient art of cob building - wrestling houses out of mud using his bare hands. But Kevin doesn't just want to build another cob house, he wants to build a cob castle.

  Not only that, Kevin also wants their gigantic new cob house to meet the highest environmental performance targets ever set. It is truly an almighty challenge.

  The house will be formed of two vast curved cob roundhouses - the largest of which is inspired by the natural geometry of a snail shell - connected by glazing and topped with undulating wild-flower meadow roofs to mirror the surrounding Devon countryside.

  But building it involves mixing and laying a mind boggling 2000 tonnes of cob, all during warm sunny weather. Kevin is determined to have the main cob walls up in a few months. But soon the sheer scale of the task becomes clear.

Grand Designs - Episode Guide - Channel 4




First Earth | interview with Kevin McCabe

Build Something Beautiful

This small company in East Devon is indeed building beautiful things! Kevin Macabe, a Traditional Cob Building Specialist, has over 20 years experience in constructing and repairing cob buildings.

Kevin He has been mixing cob with the aid of a gigantic tractor called the JCBCX. Some of the cob walls he has created are 3 feet thick! His buildings are both beautiful and fantasic. Very high quality!
You can see many of his projects on his website www.buildsomethingbeautiful.com »

I Love Cob! ∞ Build Something Beautiful


It's becoming 'hot property'...
Cob houses made from mud and straw - Telegraph
If walls could talk: a cob house in construction by Kevin McCabe - The Independent

And is definitely about 'development for sustainability'...
LILI - cob building

Currently it is estimated that one half of the world’s population – approximately three billion people on six continents – lives or works in buildings constructed of earth - 

COB — Ground House

See also: Futures Forum: Self-build
Futures Forum: Eco-housing ten years on
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