The Danish International Human Settlement Service has constructed several earth houses, called the The Lak’a Uta Project, on the Bolivian plateau. Together these houses make ‘Centro Lak’a Uta’. In the local language of Aymara ‘Lak’a Uta means ‘homes of earth’.
SismoAdobe2005
The Department of Engineering of the Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) is organizing an International Seminar of Architecture, Construction and Conservation of Earthen Buildings in Seismic Areas. The seminar is sponsored by Proterra (a Research Project of CYTED), the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI).
This event will take place on the PUCP campus, from 16-19 May 2005. It will include keynote conferences from international experts, oral and poster presentations, and technical demonstrations at the Structures Laboratory of the PUCP, where full-scale seismic simulation tests of adobe dwellings will be performed.
You are welcome to visit the website of SismoAdobe2005 at www.pucp.edu.pe/eventos/SismoAdobe2005 for more information.
Earth Architecture in Venezuela
Arquitectura de Tierra Cruda en Venezuela contains 257 color and 24 black and white illustrations discusses the use of earthen architecture in Venezuela from the pre-columbian period to today. Spanish language edition only.
PROTERRA
PROTERRA is multilateral international project and technical cooperative whose focus is the dissemination of earth construction technologies within productive sectors to impact the social policies of Latin American countries. At the moment PROTERRA has more than 50 members coming from 15 Latin American countries. [Spanish and Portuguese Language Website]. Also, see what’s new at OIKOS Eco Arquitetura and visit their photo gallery [Portuguese Language Website].
Earthquake Tests on Earth Structures
Researchers from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú have been studying the seismic stability of adobe and rammed earth and have developed measures to help combat the destructive forces that earthquakes have on earth buildings. Included in the site are several must see quicktime movies. [Spanish Language Web Site]
Cocuy Pecayero Distillery
Among the commended entries in the ar+d 2003 architecture awards is a prototype distillery made of stabilized adobes for a small town in the impoverished semi-desert region of Venezuela. The roof is made with mud and cocuy fibre (a sort of sisal) supported by poles that bear on the mud walls. The project was designed by Rafael Mattar Neri.
Mali
Brazilian photographer Jose Luis Berzal sends a link to a series of beautiful photos of adobe architecture from his recent trip to Mali.
ABCTerra
The Brazilian Association of Earth Builders – ABCTerra, established in 1997, is a non governmental organization whose goals are to disseminate, stimulate and promote the development of the architecture constructed of raw earth in Brazil.
Portugese language website. Translate at babelfish.