Cob Garden Shed

About

In the summer of 2023, Still Moon Arts Society is building a Cob Garden Shed in the Colour Me Local (CML) Dye Garden.

This project is the culmination of a long-term dream to involve the community in creating a beautiful, functional space that will support Still Moon’s creative and stewardship work.

Still Moon Arts Society created the CML Dye Garden in 2019 to grow and learn about plants that can be used for natural dyes and herbal medicines. The garden has become a beloved space for the neighbourhood, and the Cob Shed will make the area even more functional for both regular programming and special events—including those we’d previously thought impossible!

Our Collaborators

Guiding the Cob Shed build will be Clare Kenny of the Mudgirls Collective, a team of women builders who merge sustainability and empowerment through their projects of cob, clay, and other earthen materials.

Volunteer & Get Involved

June 20th – 22nd (No experience needed): Prepping the site and building the foundations for the Cob Shed.
July 25th – 29th (No experience needed): Cobbing (mud mixing), install doors, windows, and sculptural elements.
July 31st – Aug 3rd (No experience needed): Cobbing will be finalized and roofing will begin. Drop-in volunteers are welcome between 9 am & 5 pm this week, registration is not required.

Important volunteer information:

Bring: A chair to rest (optional), WATER BOTTLE, a mug for drinks, snacks, gardening gloves/knee pads if you have them, rags to wipe off / dry off, and rain gear!

Wear: Sturdy closed-toed shoes, clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, rain pants/jacket, sun-safe attire/sunscreen (on hot days), and a hat!

What is Cob?

Cob is a building substance that has been used for about as long as humans have been building shelter. Made of low-cost materials like mud, straw, and sand, cob is hard-wearing and sustainable—making it the perfect choice for our Colour Me Local Dye Garden shed.

Why a Cob Shed for CML?

The Cob Shed will enable us to safely store the tools needed for our programs and those of our partners—in other words, more art and less time transporting supplies. Our aim is to increase accessibility for artists and the community by giving them the ability to run and maintain the outdoor Dye Garden cultural space. Creating the building out of cob also allows us to move beyond a functional tool shed to a structure that is an artwork in itself, with wall surfaces that can be sculpted and designed by artists and community members.

In its use of eco-building techniques and local recycled materials, the Cob Shed will challenge wasteful construction practices and become a structure that is in harmony with the local ecology.

Dye Garden Location

Renfrew St. and East 24th Ave. (West Side of Renfrew Ravine)