Green is for go for new classroom

The children enjoyed the chance to muck in

Pupils at a school in Cornwall have been given the opportunity to make their mark on their new classroom.

Staff and pupils at Padstow School have been working with Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce of Cob in Cornwall preparing and applying cob to the new building.

The children were also given a tour of the building, which uses straw bale in its construction.

The classroom is thought to be the first commercial building in the county using straw, cob and timber.

Cob is a traditional building material made of clay sub-soil, straw and water the method is thought to have originated in the South West.

Designed by Bodmin-based architects ARCO2 Architecture, the building boasts super-insulation, a partial green roof and uses a variety of renewable and recycled products in its construction.

One schoolgirl puts her foot down over making cob

Once complete it will incorporate a new staff room and a music classroom.

Martin Penk from ARCO2 said: "It is so important for children to have practical understanding of what it means to be green.

"We hope that the building... will educate and inspire as well as provide a hands-on experience of traditional methods of construction."

Headteacher Phillip Banks said: "This has been an amazing opportunity for our children to be a part of the design and build process and to be able to understand why we have chosen certain materials and what it really means to be environmentally friendly."