Category: Australia/New Zealand

Mud-brick homes may become a thing of the past, supporters of the traditional building method claim. Nillumbik Shire Council and the Earth Building Association of Australia say two pieces of State Government legislation could mean the end of traditional earth building. Nillumbik mayor Lex de Man said the council was concerned Melbourne 2030 banned mud brick-making in the municipality’s Green Wedge and rural areas.

For an increasing number of determined people, the Australian dream is not just owning your own home. It is building it. This seems especially true in Victoria, where one in five of the $7.9 billion worth of domestic building jobs is done by ownerbuilders. Many, such as Melbourne journalist, Murray Johnson, do not have any building experience, but manage to erect impressive homes. Johnson, 45, began his mud brick house when spiralling Melbourne house prices ruled him out of the market at the end of the 1990’s.

The National Wine Centre of Australia, located in Adelaide, South Austrailia, was designed by Grieve Gillette and Cox Architects. According to the builder, Mitchell Builders, it contains the largest rammed earth wall in Austrailia. Soil taken from all leading wine districts was used in the construction of the wall, which makes up the center spine of the building. The architecture emerges from this spine much like a grape vine from the soil. More construction photos of the Centre are available at the National Wine Centre website and more info and photos can be found at www.archidose.org

Alistair Knox was the father of the modern mudbrick and owner building movements in Australia.

The $1.2 million Coo-ee Heritage Centre officially opened in March last year. “It is a very unique architectural design and the walls and floors of the gallery are made of rammed earth,” Coo-ee Heritage Centre manager Libby Kermond Carr said.

Is this the oldest existing earth block building in Australia?