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Earth Architecture—The Book is reviewed by John Hill, the editor of the prominent and (almost) daily blog, A Daily Dose of Architecture. The review can be found here

The Toxicwall, designed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute architecture student Henry Louis Miller, is a response to the bullying, isolationist tone (as he sees it) creeping into the national debate on immigration. It’s a simple idea. Collect earth from polluted brownsites. Use it to make toxic bricks. Form these bricks into a wall along the nation’s southern border. Prevent illegal immigrants from crossing by forcing them to risk contamination.

To maintain the toxicity of the brick, it seems that the bricks are likely mud-brick as vitrification of fired brick might reduce the effect. The toxic mud brick wall seems equally as harmful as architect Antoine Predock’s rammed earth border wall.

The Earthen Architecture Initiative (EAI) seeks to further the conservation of earthen architecture through international activities and institutional partnerships. Advancing the discipline of earthen conservation is the organizing principle for all of the EAI’s activities—which include model projects that improve the way conservation interventions are carried out in different parts of the world, pursuing research that addresses unanswered questions in the field of earthen conservation, and disseminating information regarding appropriate conservation interventions on historic buildings, settlements, and archaeological sites composed of earthen materials.

The Rehabilitation of the City of Shibam is part of a project that focuses on the preservation of this unique place as a living community, with architectural restoration integrated into the creation of new economic and social structures. The Award recipients are the Yemeni government and its cultural agencies, the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the community of Shibam.

A review of Earth Architecture from Australian The Age newspaper.

Rammed Earth By Design is a rammed earth building company located in Western Australia that provides a complete experience in fully finished residential home design, administration and construction. They offer over 50 predesigned home packages that they can constructed throughout Australia and globally.

You are invited to the first full meeting of Earth Building UK, a new national organisation established to represent, support and promote earth building in the UK. This is an opportunity to influence EBUK’s organisation and operation from its beginning. EBUK’s first meeting will take place at the University of Bath on Friday 16th January 2009. Further details, including the process for registering, can be found here: http://www.bath.ac.uk/ace/ebuk-meeting/. Aseries of high quality presentations are lined up as part of the day. For more information contact:

Enrico Fodde
Lecturer
BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials
Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
University of Bath
Bath BA2 7AY
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1225 383185
Fax: +44 (0) 1225 384495
Email: E.Fodde@bath.ac.uk
http://www.bath.ac.uk/ace/

Pete Walker,
Director BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials,
Dept. Architecture & Civil Engineering,
University of Bath,
Bath BA2 7AY,
UK.
Tel: 01225 386646
Fax: 01225 386691
http://www.bath.ac.uk/bre

ISBN 9781568987675 8.5 x 9 inches (21.6 x 22.9 cm), Hardcover, 208 pages 222 color illustrations; 96 b/w illustrations; A PAPress publication. Pre-Order Earth Architecture if you live in the following countries:

[ U.S. | Japan | Germany | U.K. | France | Australia ]

Synopsis
Currently it is estimated that one half of the world’s population—approximately three billion people on six continents—lives or works in buildings constructed of earth. And while the vast legacy of traditional and vernacular earthen construction has been widely discussed, little attention has been paid to the contemporary tradition of earth architecture. Author Ronald Rael, founder of Eartharchitecture.org provides a history of building with earth in the modern era, focusing particularly on projects constructed in the last few decades that use rammed earth, mud brick, compressed earth, cob, and several other interesting techniques. EARTH ARCHITECTURE presents a selection of more than 40 projects that exemplify new, creative uses of the oldest building material on the planet.

An engaging narrative addresses the misconceptions associated with earth architecture. Many assume that it’s only used for housing in poor rural areas—but there are examples of airports, embassies, hospitals, museums, and factories that are made of earth. It’s also assumed that earth is a fragile, ephemeral material, while in reality some of the oldest extant buildings on the planet are made of earth. The book also touches on many topics that pervade both architecture and popular media today, such as the ecological benefits and the politics of building with earth, particularly in developing nations where earth buildings are often thought of as pre-modern or backward. With captivating discussion and more than 300 images, Earth Architecture showcases the beauty and simplicity of one of humankind’s most evolved and sophisticated building technologies.

Earth Architecture was listed among the Top 30 Design Blogs & Resources For Architects.

“One of my favourites, this site is a great resource on sustainable earth architecture happenings worldwide.” – TreeHugger.com

The VII Seminário Ibero-Americano de Construção com Terra and the II Congresso de Arquitetura e Construção com Terra no Brasil takes place November 3-8, 2008 in São Luís, Maranhão, Brasil. For more information visit www.terrabrasil2008.com.br or email terrabrasil2008@gmail.com