Introduction Cob is one of many methods for building with raw earth. It surpasses related techniques such as adobe, rammed earth, pise and compressed earthbricks, both in ease of construction and freedom of design. Working with cob is a sensory and aesthetic experience similar to sculpting with clay. It is easy to learn and inexpensive to build with. Because there are no forms, ramming, cement or rectilinear bricks, cob lends itself to organic shapes - curved walls, arches and vaults.
Earthen houses are cool in summer, warm in winter.
Unconsolidated, hand-formed earth is probably the world's commonest building material. Cob has been used even in the harsh climates of coastal Britain, as far north as the latitude of the Aleutians. Thousands of comfortable and picturesque cob homes in England have been continuously occupied for many centuries and now command very high market values. With the soaring price of timber and increasing interest in natural and environmentally-safe building practices, cob is enjoying a renaissance. Once the basics are understood, cob building is amazingly simple.