networking Event at Plymouth University on the 3rd July 2019

We are pleased to announce that the CobBauge Project has been awarded the ‘Best Commercial Sustainable Construction’ award by the LABC – Local Authority Building Control and Plymouth City Council . Many thanks to all those involved in this event, we are honoured to be receiving this award.

The CobBauge project is now coming to an end!

Indeed, the technical and communication activities will stop on 31 March 2023.

Therefore, from 20 to 21 March 2023, the French and British partners met in Caen (FR) for the final event at BUILDERS Ecole d’ingénieurs (ex ESITC Caen).

This was the last opportunity to showcase the results of the CobBauge project to a varied audience: local authorities, representatives of the Interreg FMA, builders, architects, students and academics…

On the agenda:

• Introductive conference: Comfort in raw earth building: status of ongoing work in the Projet National Terre 
• Presentation of the academic results of the CobBauge project
  • Performance of laboratory formulations in France and England
  • Performance monitoring of the on-site implementation
  • Behaviour of the materials and prototype buildings in France and the UK
• Visit of the BUILDERS Lab
• Presentation of the technical and professional results of the CobBauge project
  • Presentation of the French prototype (Normandy)
  • Presentation of the UK prototype (Plymouth)
  • resentation of the Fakenham Build, Norfolk UK
  • Training and training tools
• On-site visit of the French prototype in Saint-André-de-Bohon

The project partners were delighted to be able to answer questions from the public and would like to thank all participants for their great interest!

Picture credit: BUILDERS Ecole d’ingénieurs 

You can now register for this exciting event for CobBauge taking place in London at the Building centre on the 10^th March 2023.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/cobbauge-an-ultra-low…

Good news!

The short and intermediate videos of the CobBauge project are available. They are one of the deliverables to be provided before the end of the project.

You can find them via the following links:

• CobBauge – Short version video
• CobBauge – Intermediate version video

Enjoy the video!

Due to the continued interest in the now completed CobBauge building on the University of Plymouth campus, we are now holding another long awaited open day in association with Low Carbon Devon on 16 and 17 January 2023.

There are a number of time slots available. If you would like to attend one of these sessions, please register via the link below: https://plymouth.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/low-carbon-building-technologies-open-day?fbclid=IwAR1pGOM-WBlPQrmjPpXMzCqrGWhPiQf9wHm4JRa7pIDOEXfLozppmr2AWp4

The CobBauge project team wishes you all the best for the year 2023.

Over the last few months, our CobBauge team, alongside Grocott & Murfit Builders, hosted two successful open days including Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at the CobBauge Pilot Build House in Fakenham, North Norfolk. These included an overview of the innovation and ambitions of the CobBauge research project, its guide for designers, the standard detailing and design as well as the tour of the first CobBauge house in Fakenham.

The Open Days was incredibly rewarding, giving the whole team the opportunity to meet and keep in touch with new stakeholders in the field of natural building materials and a real for CobBauge’s construction potential in the future.

Picture credits: HudsonArchitects

Batimat is a fair bringing together all construction and architecture professionals to exchange and choose innovative products and solutions for the construction of current and future buildings.

It will take place from 3 to 6 October 2022 at Porte de Versailles, Paris.

As an innovative and sustainable solution, the CobBauge project will be exhibited. Do not hesitate to come and exchange with the partners present.

Stand location: Hall: 1 – Aisle: M – Number: 113 

Following the CobBauge online event on 29 September 2022, the training tools are officially available!

Guides, training videos, ECVET training units… Everything is accessible via the following link: http://www.cobbauge.eu/en/technical-documentation/

The CobBauge partnership is pleased to announce that the project has won an award in the “Field and Laboratory Research” category at the RISE Awards 2022.

This event is intended to showcase exemplary projects in the field of construction in terms of research, innovation, sustainability or entreprises bringing innovative products and technologies to the market.

This shows the involvement of the construction sector in addressing the issues of climate change.

The first CobBauge training event will take place online on 29 September 2022!

This training is free and intended for designers and builders.

Throughout the day, CobBauge project architects, scientists, engineers and builders will present the materials and implementation processes developed durinf the project.

For more information, please consult the detailed program of this day.

It will also be an opportunity to visit the pilot sites in France and the United Kingdom and provide details of their design and specifications. In addition, construction guides and training videos will be presented. They will also be available on the CobBauge project website.

Please note that this is a bilingual event, when you will registrate, you will have the possibility to choose the English or French option.

Please click on the following link if you would like to attend this training day: CobBauge Construction Training Event

The CobBauge project team will be happy to welcome you!

You are invited to the CobBauge pilot build Open Day in Fakenham (UK) on 28 September 2022!

This pilot site is led by partner HUDSON Architects. The final result will be a three-bedroom house made of cob developed during the project.

Two visits lasting 1.30 are available:

• 10am – 11.30am
• 2pm – 3.30pm

They will be divided into two parts: presentation of the CobBauge project and visit of the house under construction.

If you are interested, please book your visit by clicking on this link.

Great news!

“The Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainable initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the world.”

The University of Plymouth with the CobBauge project is one of the 84 finalists selected for the 2022 edition in the category “Research with Impact – Institution” in the UK and Ireland.

The winners will be announced at the Green Gown Awards Ceremony on November 8th, 2022 which will take place at Loughborough University.

Fingers crossed!

On Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, the semestrial Steering Committee Meeting of the CobBauge project took place!

That was the opportunity to gather all the project partners face-to-face.

This was followed by a visit to the pilot building on the campus of the University of Plymouth.

The CobBauge team was in Santa Fe (USA) for the Terra 2022 international conference which took place from 7 to 10 June 2022 !

It was an opportunity to present the CobBauge project and to meet many specialists in earthen architecture.

The open house on 12.05.2022 at the Plymouth campus was a great success.

Many curious people were able to visit the English pilot building, whose construction is now completed.

We have a few spaces left for the CobBauge Open Day at the University of Plymouth, come and take a look at the new build and talk to some of the experts involved in the research of this innovative building

Come and tour the new CobBauge building on the University of Plymouth campus, part of the Sustainable Earth Institute.

We have 4 tours available throughout the day.

Talk to the experts and enjoy an exhibition of our progress.

Contact: cobbauge@plymouth.ac.uk to secure a place for the tour.

This year, for the first time, RILEM is organizing an event specifically dedicated to earthen construction.

ESITC Caen has been selected to present the CobBauge project during an oral conference.

To know more about it, go to the event’s page.

To know the program of these 2 days, it is here.

With the construction of two low-carbon houses in the UK and France edging closer to completion, CobBauge builds its case for a new low energy construction material for houses.

The two prototype houses, located at the University of Plymouth (Devon, UK) and the Parc naturel régional des Marais du Cotentin and Bessin (Normandy, France), are expected to be completed in Spring 2022, with their walls and roof along with the windows and doors already in place.

This construction process is part of the second phase of CobBauge, a €4.1 million Interreg France (Channel) England project aiming to develop the use of cob in both France and the UK.

For more informations, please read the following article –> here.

New article published on 21.12.2021 in building.co.uk about the CobBauge project.

Thomas Lane has interviewed and photographed our British partners and their recent work as part of the progress of the construction of the demonstration building in England.

To find out more, you can read the full article, richly illustrated, on building.co.uk.

On December 4, 2021, Mohamed Boutouil, Deputy Director and Director of Research at ESITC Caen was interviewed for a special program dedicated to Eco-construction.

Alongside François Glaizot, project manager at ARPE, Mohamed Boutouil demonstrated the interest of the CobBauge project.

For more information, the broadcast is available here (in French only).

On Friday 03 December 2021, a steering meeting was held between partners, companies, local authorities and the press.

After a presentation of the CobBauge project at the Maison du Parc – Saint Côme du Mont, we went to the pilot site in Saint André-de-Bohon.

Press articles are already available:

Radiophénix: Interview Mohamed Boutouil – Broadcast on 04.12.2021

Ouest France: online article (in full by subscription)

The PnrMCB and ESITC Caen, members of the CobBauge partnership, are organising a meeting with local authorities and companies, to which the press will be invited in order to discover the latest results of the project and to glimpse our perspectives.

18 months after the previous visit, the press returns to the site to discover a building that is nearing completion.

Invitation professionnels_collectivités_031221 (only in french)

The removal and settlement measures on the French site are being completed under a beautiful Normandy sun.

The roof will be installed by the end of October.

Facility set to be ‘living lab’ for new cob material

Timelapse available here

To read the full article –> link

The BBC talks about it, find their article here

The Faculty’s own ‘CobBauge Project’ has been invited to present at the #EURegionsWeek on Wednesday 13 October at 08:30 (BST), 09:30 (CEST).

Join the UK and French partners broadcasting live from their labs, studios and live construction sites in ‘Breakout room one’ ‘CobBauge Live lab’.

The event is part of a larger session entitled  “Digital transitions in a post-Covid world” at #EURegionsWeek

Register your participation at the following link:

https://eu.app.swapcard.com/event/eu-regions-week/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfNjMxMTgx?fbclid=IwAR1qKBIOnPdOtl4t01LPWTY7Nry3v3Odnv1U4G1iFHYVlG7Tvw2P_UXr8fA

Architects are striving to use sustainable materials, rediscover and innovate in the use of traditional building techniques, and expand their knowledge to guide clients in their quest for future-proof buildings.

RIBA’s Smart Practice Conference 2021 will feature architects, engineers and clients who are pushing our understanding of sustainable design and construction in a variety of ways.

To register, it’s right here.

Work begins on the CobBauge prototype building on the University of Plymouth Campus, first of its kind in the UK.

To follow the progress of the work, it is here.

The building of the CobBauge pilot in France has now started again. The 6th lift was completed last week, and the walls now rise to 4.5 meters in height. There is one last lift to go in August, then the roof and the windows will be implemented in September, this will include the render protection on the light earth. Also, the first of many trainees in CobBauge joined us for this lift.

10:15 | Parallel Sessions

24 June 2021

Session 1 theme: Built environment

CobBauge Live Lab: an insight into the production of energy efficient cob walls 

Steve Goodhew will be presenting on CobBauge at Sustainable Earth 2021.
Join the Sustainable Earth Institute on the  24-25 June, to catalyse action around the climate emergency. The online event is open to anyone interested in understanding the challenges and solutions to reaching net zero and aims to inspire action at any level.

Hear from inspirational speakers, including the latest in research and innovation, to business, industry, social enterprise and community, grass-roots action. The forum includes lots of opportunity for attendees to network, participate, spark ideas, and find opportunities to collaborate.

More information following this link : https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/institutes/sustainable-earth/se21

The 100% independant newspaper La Maison Ecologique wrote about us in its edition n°123.

A very complete and detailed article available by following this link :

• https: //fr.calameo.com/read/0042314193dff42e68feb?

“Associations , researchers and artisans are mobilizing to improve techniques and promote the use of local resources in fiber-reinforced earth mixtures.

At the same time, institutional recognition of these materials is beginning. ”

We are pleased to announce that CobBauge is featured in the June newsletter.

As a reminder, CobBauge will present a ‘Live Lab’ at the Plymouth University Research Festival on July 1, 2021.

We are pleased to announce that #CobBauge will be presenting a ‘Live Lab’ during the Plymouth University Research Festival 2021 on the 1st July 13:00 – 16:00 (BST).

The CobBauge Team will be demonstrating that the ancient technique of cob has a role to play in the future of modern low-carbon homes. CobBauge is an #Interreg V France (Channel) England project working with partners in the UK and France to create multiple cob mixes to test their thermal properties.

Take a glimpse into the laboratories behind the science of natural earthen building materials and ask architects, engineers and surveyors what the CobBauge earth walling system gives to the future of earth buildings in the UK and Northern France. #PlymResFest @plymuni

Please follow the link below to register for this free event:

https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/plymouth-research-festival/2021-cobbauge-live-lab

The final video is coming! (very soon)

In collaboration with the BeHappix studio, the CobBauge project is developing an intermediate video for the promotion of the bauge and the project.

Here are some photos extracted from the video which will be available shortly.

We will keep you informed : more photos are coming!

Credits : @BeHappix

The use of rammed earth in UK architecture is on the rise. Scott Boote, associate at Webb Yates, Engineers, makes the case for using this ancient method in contemporary construction.

IN_PRACTICE_AJS_0321

‘CobBauge is a natural building material that can one day replace cement in construction. Even in today’s concrete world, about a third of the global population live in buildings made from earth.  The question for the future is to how to make this ancient technique scalable, energy efficient, and easily replicable.’

This video was produced by Nikolay Nikolov and is published by Mashable.’

https://mashable.com/video/cob-construction-cobbauge/?europe=true

We are pleased to announce a new publication, ‘Improving the thermal performance of earthen walls to satisfy current building regulations’  available at Elsevier Science.

https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0378-7788(21)00157-2

Raphaël Rattier teaches the CobBauge builders of tomorrow at the Paul Gernez school as part of ‘Villes Creative 2021’ organized by Territoires Pionniers I Maison de l’architecture-Normandie.
On February 18, 2021, Raphaël talked about earthen buildings and his work as an architectural researcher while the students were able to examine samples of local fibers and soils.

Passion, innovation and sharing are the ingredients for a year 2021 placed under excellence.

The whole team thanks you for your confidence.

The virtual Clayfest 2020 was a complete success, with Tom Morton from EBUKI giving a presentation and the University of Plymouth providing a live workshop to the viewers.

Becky Little (EBUKI) has been busy making and curing a set of render tests that will be exposed to the full force of the Plymouth winter. The idea is to create a render that will bond to the light earth element of Cobbauge while also being durable and flexible over time and workable on a large commercial scale. Good job we like a challenge!

We are testing a range of clay and lime mixes, both traditional and modern, and will use these initial experiments to guide and inform more large scale tests on a pilot building next year.

En[quête] d’Architecture continues to promote the CobBauge project with the second part of last month’s podcast. This second part allows you to compare the results obtained in the laboratory and those of the building site, to reflect on the future perspectives of the project.

A very nice global presentation of the CobBauge project, richly illustrated, will allow you to discover all the aspects/issues of this project is available here (in french only).

Very good reading and listening to all 😉

From October 14, 2020 to January 17, 2021, the CAUE du Calvados and Le Pavillon in Caen are questioning the potential of fast-growing plants.

For three months, the exhibition “Fibra, building with plant fibers” will focus on the interest of using plant fibers in tomorrow’s constructions.Through the exhibition “Fibra, building with plant fibers” they will present solutions for tomorrow’s architecture and city. The two local structures will also offer a cultural program of workshops, lectures and visits on the theme of “building differently”.

ESITC Caen will open its doors in December to learn more about traditional earth construction through the CobBauge project.

A great couple of days were spent in the civil engineering labs starting our large scale wall build here at the University of Plymouth at the end of August.

Many thanks to all the CobBauge team especially François Streiff (PnrMCB) who patiently zoomed in on our activities to help us make sure the wall was built correctly.

This is the covid-19 postponed wall build to test the feasibility of detailing and eventually compressive load strength at the University of Plymouth UK. The materials used in the composite wall, hemp shiv, clay slip, flax straw, clay rich subsoil and aggregate, 20mm to dust.

Members of the CobBauge Team that present from Plymouth University were Steve Goodhew, Jim Carfrae, Kevin Owen, Matthew Fox and from Hudson Architects Matthew Griggs.

[En]quête d’architecture gives you an appointment on September 9th for a new architectural nugget: we decipher the project #CobBauge !!!!

CobBauge, un projet de recherche européen sur le renouveau de la technique de la Bauge

Interview of François Streiff, architect and eco-construction project manager at the PNR des marais du Cotentin et du Bessin, one of the 6 partners of the project with : #ESITC #pnrmcb #UniversitéCaenNormandie #universityofplymouth #ebuki #Hudsonarchitects

• Part 1: from Wednesday, September 9, 2020

We retrace the evolution from the traditional bauge to the formulation of a new generation bauge

• Part 2: from Wednesday, October 7, 2020

We discover the confrontation of scientific results in the laboratory on the prototype site, technical details, implementation time and perspectives of the project.

Because you were impatiently waiting for it, here is the video made by ESITC Caen during the CobBauge press visit on July 7th on the PnrMCB website.

Enjoy!

We joined Ouest France, La Presse de la Manche, En quête d’Architecture and a journalist from d’A.

Le Moniteur was also able to make a telephone interview today and a live interview allowed those interested to participate in the press visit and interact directly.

Thank you to all the actors, journalists for this beautiful event.

After the closure of the site for the winter and a resumption of the site postponed due to the pandemic, layer 2 is now in progress. The formwork was dismantled and replaced to implement our two mixtures, load-bearing and insulating. This layer will be equipped with numerous probes to measure the evolution of the water content during the drying process, the construction of the following layers, and once the building is occupied. We will also measure the temperature of the walls.

CobBauge presented in EarthUSA Newsletter 4, following the presentation in Santa Fe in October 2019.

To read the full article, click here.

After a small break, we can finally consider resuming an almost normal activity. The supplies of materials for the Normandy prototype announce an imminent resumption…!
The reed cut in the Baie de Seine during the winter has arrived. It will be crushed to allow us to make the insulating mix. The clay soil to bind it has also dried and we are crushing and sifting it to avoid a hard work of liquid sifting of the slurry.

Following national recommendations, all CobBauge project partners have ceased their activities and the universities and companies are closed.

The continuity of the administrative and communication actions are carried out remotely. All technical actions are delayed until the re-opening of all the organisations.

We also recommend that you remain confined so that the virus disappears as quickly as possible.

Let’s adopt these simple gestures

• Monitor your temperature twice a day;
• Watch for the appearance of symptoms of respiratory infection (cough, fever, difficulty breathing…);
• Wash your hands regularly or use a hydro-alcoholic solution;
• Avoid all contact with fragile people (pregnant women, chronically ill, elderly people…);
• Avoid frequenting places where fragile people are present (hospitals, maternity wards…);
• Avoid all non-essential outings.

We are holding a CobBauge ‘Wall Building Workshop’ on the 30/31st March 2020 at the University of Plymouth.

Spaces are very limited, so if you are interested in attending please email cobbauge@plymouth.ac.uk explaining why you would like to attend this workshop with a brief explanation of your relation with cob building.

An agenda is available on request.

J’NOV is the day of trades and innovation in the construction and public works sector.

On this occasion, the CobBauge project is revealed a little more. Come and discover the work of ESITC Caen in this Franco-British project that will enable the construction of 2 pilot buildings in the Cotentin marshes and Plymouth by 2022.

RDV on Saturday, March 7th 2020 @ESITC Caen, 1 rue Pierre et Marie Curie – 14610 EPRON.

Program J’NOV_2020

The environmental monitoring device is installed!

RDV in April 2020 for the construction of the pilot building in the Parc Naturel des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin.

The INTERREG present you…the CobBauge project!

The award-winning CobBauge Project develops, tests and creates new low carbon and energy efficient cob mixes to build homes in the Channel area.

It won the European Commission’s prestigious RegioStars Award for Sustainability for its work that will pave the way for 1,500 low-carbon homes to be built across the Channel area over 10 years.

We‘ve created a series of bite-sized, inspiring videos at mid-way point in the programme about one project from each of our five specific objectives:  Innovation; Social Innovation; Low Carbon Technologies; Natural & Cultural Heritage; Coastal and Transitional Water Ecosystems.

The €4.1m CobBauge project is in the funding category for Low Carbon Technologies. Find out more about the project here.

CobBauge is the third in our series of videos, which illustrate the variety of projects we co-fund, and highlight their achievements and the fantastic collaboration that goes into forming a successful Interreg France (Channel) England project.

This event was well attended, please find the presentations below

click on the following link – Natural Buildings of the Future .

“Les enjeux de l’usage de la Terre Crue pour la construction ”

See you the January 17th, 2020 at Puteaux !

For the detailed program, it’s here !

The cobBauge team wish you a Merry Christmas!

See you on January 06th, 2020!

On November 15-16th, 2019 @Rennes.

Focus: Earth and thermal comfort.

More informations here !

The CobBauge project continues, come and discover phase 2 of the project on November 21st 2019 at ESITC Caen.

You can be at the heart of pilot building construction projects with current designs on both sides of the Channel.

Invitation

Registration form online (free)

The first prize was awarded to the CobBauge project in the category “Connecting Green, Blue and Grey”.

The first prize was awarded to the CobBauge project in the category “Connecting Green, Blue and Grey” at the European Commission’s RegioStars Awards ceremony on 09 October 2019 in Brussels, as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities, ESITC Caen and its partners were awarded the first prize for their CobBauge project in the category “connecting green, blue and grey”.

Each year, the European Commission rewards projects funded by the European Union that have demonstrated their excellence and the value of their innovative approaches to regional development, and on this occasion Interreg produced a video on the CobBauge project.

Final Agenda – CobBauge, London

The CobBauge project takes an ancient vernacular natural building material and brings it into the 21st Century.

Discover how we build and the details of the two pilot homes.
This event will take you to the next 4 years going into the future.
It would be designed for local, regional and national authorities, surveyors, architects, self-builders, local planning authorities and small building companies.

Make the CobBauge project the big winner of this competition!

The votes are opened until the September 9^th.

To vote, it’s here !

End of the phase 1 of CobBauge project and approbation of the phase 2.

To visualize the press release – click here

We would like to invite you to an exciting event for CobBauge which will be taking place in London at The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in Parliament Square.

Please register early for this event as we are only able to offer places to 80 attendees. We look forward to hearing from you

You are all welcome to come to our event at the University of Plymouth on the 3rd July, please RSVP to: karen.hood-cree@plymouth.ac.uk

We are thrilled to be shortlisted for the RegioStars Awards, Europe’s awards for the most innovative, regional projects. Please help us to be one of the 5 finalists and vote for our project.

The deadline is the 9th July and we are in ‘Category 2 – Connecting green, blue and grey

To vote, it’s here!

Please come along to our networking event at Plymouth University on the 3rd July.

There will displays of our work from the past few years and an update on what is happening with the project going forwards.

If you would like to attend, please contact: karen.hood-cree@plymouth.ac.uk with the name of the attendees.

A full agenda will follow soon.

Researchers re-engineer cob into sustainable new building material CobBauge