Blog  January 11, 2012

There’s no work like cob work

Chimney Court's new Cob Cottage is close to completion (Photo:Yuliya Tsoy)

“All hands in the dirt” isn’t just a saying at Evergreen––sometimes we literally get dirty. And we’ve been doing just that in Chimney Court since the end of September.

Our senior designer for Learning Grounds, Heidi Campbell, along with Parklane, winners of the Canada Blooms 2010 SEED award, have been working together with a team of volunteers to make our dreams of a Cob Cottage in Chimney Court come true.

Cob (a mixture of clay, sand, straw and water mashed with hands and/or feet) is found across the globe and has been a favoured building material since prehistoric times. An inexpensive building alternative, cob structures are also fireproof and can withstand very harsh elements.

 Mixing the cob concoction is a messy job! (Photo:Yuliya Tsoy)

The Park Lane team was excited to execute their first real cob structure, and hoped to have it up and finished before any signs of snow. Our team was a great mix of experienced builders and volunteer recruits, who were eager to learn and try a new medium.

The cottage grew by inches and feet over the weeks (despite cold weather, and some very rainy days) through a series of build sessions involving volunteers, visiting students from the community and even a little help from the public on the weekends!

Volunteers mix clay, sand, straw and water with their feet and hands (Photo:Yuliya Tsoy)

We’re nearing completion, with a sealant around the outside, insertion of the glass mosaics, and the green roof to top it all off coming this spring.

The Cob Cottage is an engaging and exciting structure that will be home to many visiting schools, outdoor programs and camp participants at Evergreen Brick Works. Come on down to Play in Chimney Court on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and check it out!