A local group is taking a unique approach to architecture and design. Requirements include clay, straw, sand, water and a willingness to get a little dirty.

Athens Emerging Green Builders will host a workshop to teach techniques in cob building – a low-impact practice that uses sustainable materials to build various structures from garden walls to homes.

Members and participants will build a small wall structure under the instruction of Will McSwain, a member of Red Clay Natural Builders.

“It’s important for people to explore different building techniques, especially ones that are better for the environment,” said Kathryn Austin, a landscape architecture major and co-chair of the organization, who helped plan the event.

“The clay, sand and straw are locally sourced, making it more sustainable than shipping in timber.”

Although building an entire home from cob may not appeal to some existing homeowners, using natural building techniques for walls, entrances, benches or other outside structures is affordable and manageable.

Erected from the ground up, cob building generally utilizes the same materials as adobe but does not need to be fired and lasts for a long time if constructed properly.

A stone foundation and recycled aluminum for roofing are required to build cob structures.

The group used granite scraps that were picked up for free outside of Elberton to create a solid foundation that will support the cob and stop moisture from seeping from the ground into the structure.

This natural building practice is already popular in the United Kingdom, Africa and the Middle East. The use of cob, adobe, cordwood and stone is gaining momentum in the United States.