Cobtun House

Cobtun emerges seamlessly from the surrounding landscape. Approached along an unmade road, a curved encircling mud and straw (cob) wall appears to crumble away at its southern end, enclosing a series of south-facing terraces. Further down an entrance leads through the massive wall to the front door and circular top-lit hall. Beyond, the cob continues past the entrance, the house abutting its south face in horizontally boarded oak and glass.

Arriving in the house, a sequence of south-facing living and bedroom spaces open out in two wings to the south and west, flooded with sunlight and seasonally shaded by 2m of over-hanging vines. Morning sun in the study is reflected from an external pool. Accommodation is all on one wheelchair-accessible level.

The materials chosen combine a refreshing modern aesthetic with environmental responsibility. The raw medieval texture of the earth wall is contrasted with twenty-first century materials. As the majority of earth is from the site itself, there is virtually no transport or manufacturing, so the “embodied energy” of the earth walling is almost zero.

Very high insulation levels are achieved with recycled cellulose insulation. Low environmental impact building materials include paints and varnishes, sustainably sourced timber, recycled newsprint insulation, pvc-free wiring, etc. Render, screeds and mortar use sieved site sand, avoiding imported material; doors use translucent composite honeycomb panels, linen canvas and leather handles.