Ultra Low-Carbon Building Materials: CobBauge, Natural Insulation and Living Walls

An event about our research into ultra low-carbon building materials – what these materials are, their benefits and how you can implement them
Living wall inside the Sustainability Hub
This event took place on 29 January 2025 from 14:30–17:00
The built environment is responsible for 34% of energy demand and 37% of carbon emissions globally* and is intertwined with other crises, not least the reduction in global biodiversity.
As part of the Entrepreneurial Futures project, researchers at the University of Plymouth have been working with businesses and real use cases to explore how different ultra low-carbon building materials – including CobBauge , natural insulation and living wall systems – can help to alleviate the harms attributed to buildings for more sustainable approaches to construction and restoration.
This online event shared the latest insights from this research in an accessible format, with presentations and case studies of the University’s recent collaborations with Cornwall-based Home Health Expert Ltd and the Living Wall at Exeter Science Centre.
As well as these insights, the event presented a unique opportunity to engage with leading academics and businesses at the forefront of ultra low-carbon solutions through open Q&A discussions.
All were welcome to attend this free event, whether a built environment professional, academic, student or simply intrigued by these pioneering approaches to reaching net-zero emissions.
Please note this event was recorded and shared on Net-Zero Exchange .
*Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, 2024

Speakers included:

  • Jason Ratcliffe MSc, BA (Hons), AssocRICS, a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, RICS Surveyor, researcher, and aspiring building physicist.
  • Natalie Whitehead PhD, Founder and Director of Exeter Science Centre, whose mission is to educate, motivate and empower the public to make a difference in the world.
  • Dr Tom Murphy, Early career researcher interested in the use of nature-based solutions to tackle local and global environmental issues, and lecturer in Environmental Sciences.
  • Jack Morewood, Business Research Fellow – Built Environment, specialising in living walls.
  • Halat Alnaqshabandy, Business Research Fellow – Built Environment, specialising in CobBauge.
  • Dr Matthew Fox , Architect, lecturer and researcher in sustainable architecture.

The CobBauge project

Led by Professor Steve Goodhew , a traditional building method is being repurposed through an international research project with a view to constructing a new generation of energy-efficient homes.
Cob houses have existed in the south of England and northern France for centuries. However, the construction industry has been unable to create a cob material that meets new thermal and structural building regulations.
Now a cross-border research project led by the University of Plymouth aims to change that, and demonstrate that the ancient technique – which involves mixing earth and natural fibres with water – has a role to play in the future of the construction industry.
CobBauge project – the image shows laboratory trials to optimise mixture for strength and thermal performance
Laboratory trials to optimise mixture for strength and thermal performance
 

Close up of the Sustainability Hub's external facade
Net Zero – Entrepreneurial Futures project
Working with businesses to deliver research and development-led approaches to achieving net zero
Net-Zero Exchange
Net-Zero Exchange
A network of researchers and enterprises exploring a whole-systems approach to net zero
Living wall inside the Sustainability Hub
MSc Low Carbon Architectural Engineering
This programme prepares you for professional practice in the built environment sector
 
 
This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.