Co-designing CobBauge futures

Dr Matthew Fox, University of Plymouth

Earth buildings are inherently sustainable and form a significant percentage of the vernacular architecture in the UK.

This project brings contemporary design to the creation of earth buildings, re-imagining these traditional buildings for modern living and for current fabrication methods, re-establishing this familiar low-impact architectural form.   

Through a co- design approach, CobBauge for New Futures looks to take a newly developed sustainable vernacular form of architecture and enhance its commercial viability to meet the long-term needs of modern life, optimising for the needs of a future construction industry. 

The focus is to take a design-led approach to shape how CobBauge material would have to change, the types of new buildings to be built, the influence of digitisation on production and the comfort of future occupiers as the climate changes. To maintain the ultra-low carbon aspect of CobBauge alongside minimal production of waste and local focus of material production.

Matthew Fox

Dr Matthew Fox is an architect, lecturer and researcher in sustainable architecture and innovative natural construction materials at the University of Plymouth. Matthew specialises in the synthesis
 

Karen Hood-Cree

Karen Hood-Cree is a Project Manager at the University of Plymouth and has a degree in Marine Biology & Coastal Ecology and an MSc in Sustainable Environmental Management from the University of