Ancient building material cob has been brought up to contemporary standards by a team of British and French researchers, who see it as an environmentally friendly option for homes.
The team, led by Steve Goodhew from the University of Plymouth, have created a new version of cob ? a building material made a mixture of water, soil and fibres like straw and hemp, which was widely used for centuries in southwestern England, Wales and northern France.
Their version has an increased ability to trap heat, meaning it meets current thermal standards for architecture.
In a nod to the material's roots, they have named it CobBauge ? an amalgam of its French and English names.
Cob buildings would have less need for heating
Because it does not need to be heat-treated and is made from soil sourced from site, cob presents an opportunity to build more sustainably, with reduced carbon emissions and construction waste. And with CobBauge, occupants would have less need for heating than in a traditional building. The European Union calculates that half of energy consumption in the region comes from heating and cooling homes, a figure it aims to slash to meet its climate goals.

"What we're doing is taking a robust vernacular material and bringing it right up-to-date," Goodhew said. "While what we have come up with is without a doubt a modern interpretation of cob, we hope it will satisfy both the traditionalists, and those looking for a hi-tech, energy-efficient material."
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