Students at Edgehill Elementary School recently learned an ancient building technique and applied that knowledge to the construction of two cob benches now gracing the school’s front entrance.
Cob construction uses ingredients readily found in nature such as straw, clay, sand and water and has been used around the world for generations in simple home construction. The idea to learn the process at Edgehill came about after students in the school’s ECO group attended a School District 47 workshop at Oceanview Education Centre organized by district sustainability education coordinator Karin Westland.
“Karin always brings together such interesting people for these workshops,” said Edgehill ECO team leader and grade five/six teacher Darcy Gesell. “The students get exposed to different sustainable ideas.”
At the workshop, grade seven students Ella Kealey, 12, and Danica Falconer, 13, met Jon van Oostveen, who had a cob demonstration station. The students said they were fascinated with the process and decided it would be a great project for the school to take on.
“Cob was our favourite thing,” said Kealey.
“We thought it would be so cool to do at school,” added Falconer.
With some persistence, planning and requests for funds, it soon became a reality. Students from grades one through seven were invited to participate in the mixing and construction of the benches under the guidance of van Oostveen and Anne Bonner, an experienced cob builder.
Students mixed the materials with their feet and formed it into benches. The chance to be outside in the dirt was a popular option with students in all grades.
“I liked getting muddy, putting it together and watching it be built,” said Sebastian Blaney, 10.
Fellow student Charlotte Leahy-McHugh agreed.
“It was really fun to get all muddy and mix all the stuff together,” she said. “It’s cool how all these weird ingredients can go together and make walls. It’s just normal stuff you can get anywhere.”
Other students said leaving something lasting at the school made the project meaningful.
“It was really fun to decorate it because now we’ve left our mark,” said Lily Frost, 12. “I’m in grade seven and next year we won’t be here.”
In addition to leaving a legacy at the school and having fun, students learned about sustainable building materials and practices, said Gesell.
“We want them to learn how to do things differently and have a positive impact on our planet,” she said. “‘Take care of our place,’ that’s one of our school’s mottos.”
