Architecture, Art, Design, and Culture using of mud, clay, soil, dirt & dust.
Oikos EcoArquitetura is a Brazilian organization dedicated to conservation, restoration, dissemination and technical consultation of low energy projects in raw earth. Oikos also continues to curate a discussion group with more than 200 participants interested in the subject of raw earth in architecture. Portuguese language web site.
Rammed Earth N51 is a sixty-foot-long freestanding rammed earth wall built by a team of students and staff at MIT during the summer of 2005. The project combines research on historical and contemporary rammed earth methods with material research undertaken in the geotechnical laboratory at MIT. [ previously ]
El V? SIACOT SEMINARIO IBEROAMERICANO DE CONSTRUCCIÓN CON TIERRA y el I? SAACT SEMINARIO ARGENTINO DE ARQUITECTURA Y CONSTRUCCION CON TIERRA apunta un doble objetivo. Por una parte, reunir a los científicos, tecnólogos y profesionales que trabajan en torno al tema en la región: desde el pasado hacia el presente, desde el patrimonio cultural de arquitecturas de tierra, al uso actual de la tierra estabilizada. Por la otra, posibilitar el desarrollo de un espacio de discusión que permita evaluar resultados hacia futuro, el desarrollo de los programas y proyectos en marcha. La rica y vasta dimensión de lo histórico constituye la base ineludible para la recuperación en la práctica del uso de estas antiguas tecnologías. Más informaciones
Lloyd and Ted Ober document the construction of a rammed earth house in Louisiana. Good documentation with photos, video and text.
The Elser House by Richard Eribes & Mary Hardin protects from the scorching midday and afternoon heat with a generous roof shades the house and creates places of respite in the courts and patios. When the monsoons come, rain gathers on the roof and plunges off above the patio in a single stream, to be captured in a stone basin below.
ConstruTierra 2006 will be held in Bogotá, Tunja y Villa de Leyva, Colombia February 20 to 25, 2006 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Construction of Clan Homes in Fujian website describes the marvelous multi-storied round dwellings of the Hakka People of China. Be sure to see the detailed drawings of these structures. [ Previously ]
“Dirt is also an intrinsically architectural material. Both architecture and grime are by-products of the grinding wheels of civilisation. Architecture’s unnatural and artificial environments help define what dirt is.”
The Renaissance of Rammed Earth
The Historical airport of Maybod in Yazd Province has been suggested by the Maybod Research Center as the center for the Adobe International Research Institute. Considering that Iran is an earthquake-prone country, establishing an international research institute for studying earthen structures would provide a proper basis for reengineering and strengthening of these structures. “Taking into account that Iran has the highest number of earthen constructions in the world, this decision would provide international facilities for preserving these monuments. Earthen constructions are parts of Iranian traditional architectural style which has a history of over 8000 years. Establishing an international center in Iran would promote Iran’s technical abilities in regards to earthen structures. Keeping in mind that Iran is an earthquake-prone country, the establishment of this center would also provide an opportunity to reengineer and strengthen our clay structures according to the international standards,” said Mohammad Hassan Khademzadeh, head of Mega Projects.