Cob Icon

New Cob Icon

A while back Ianto Evans asked for ideas on a cob symbol / icon in the CobWeb. Many drawings have dots, scratches, circles and lines to represent different materials. I purpose the two crescent symbol to represent Cob.

Variations on the symbol could represent added material. For example the three crescent glyph could represent more clay; while the cross inside the C – more straw; the dot- more sand. This might be useful for designers to specify where to add more of a specific material.

Drawing - Cob, clay-cob, straw-cob, sand-cob

In cob building, different areas require more of one material for maximum performance. An example might be the arch in the drawing below. This wall could benefit from corbel cobs, cob made with a healthy amount of straw, in the arch. The addition of the straw will make for a stronger arch due to the added tensile strength. A sandier mix might be used for the tops of the walls or as a plaster.

Cob Wall

I’d love to hear what your thoughts are…