Posted on

Daw’an Mud Brick Architecture Foundation

The Daw’an Mud Brick Architecture Foundation is a private independent organization, financially autonomous and accountable, registered at the Office of Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Hadramut Branch with goal to:

    Set up, operate and manage Architectural Projects including design, infrastructure and urban planning for the rehabilitation of towns and villages, individual sites and buildings

    Carry out Architectural Surveys and documentation; prepare drawings and reports for existing buildings/ sites identified for rehabilitation or restoration and establish their renewal requirements

    Provide specifications and costing for projects based on the above enlisting the expertise and services of Master Builders and craftsmen
    Design of new projects including public and private buildings and extensions, based on sensitive, challenging architectural concepts and use of building materials

    Advise on new projects, design and planning initiatives, taking into account area conservation and rehabilitation legislation building codes and regulations

    Prioritise agricultural development areas, water and spate irrigation and flooding schemes, and assist with setting up organic farming projects
    Assist with organic and industrial waste management

    Publish and disseminate work in progress through Seminars, Conferences and Workshops and liaise with regional and international universities, academics, and professional experts

For more information visit The Daw’an Mud Brick Architecture Foundation website.

Posted on

Salma Samar Damluji Wins Global Award for Sustainable Architecture

Salma Samar Damluji, an Iraqi architect and researcher educated in the UK, pupil of Hassan Fathy and author of The Architecture of Yemen, who has dedicated her life to the safeguarding and redesign of Earthen Architecture in the fascinating but highly dangerous Yemen is the recipient of the Global Ward for Sustainable Architecture. The Global Award Ceremony will be held at the Cité de l´Architecture in Paris on April 13.

Posted on

Building Local


Building Local is a design-build studio that will explore and discuss the aesthetic, assembly and tectonic qualities of local materials: earth, stone, fique, bamboo and wood, engaging students in a series of workshops that will culminate in the design and construction of an efficient and innovative farmhouse. The studio will take place in Barichara, a colonial town located in the North Western region of Colombia. It is open to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students (juniors and seniors) who are interested in engaging in the explorations of these techniques and their use in contemporary architecture.

The studio is organized by:

Maria Carrizosa, a licensed architect in Colombia and holds an undegraduate degree in architecture from Universidad de Los Andes and a dual Master’s degree in Architecture, and City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. Her design practice in Colombia ranges from institutional to housing projects, developing two award-winning projects for a public library and a music school in rural communities. She has been involved in architectural education in both Colombia and the US and continues her participation as a guest juror in the College of Environmental Design and as an Adjunct Professor at the Diablo Valley Community College. Maria is interested in collaborative practices in both architecture and planning to provide communities with the necessary tools to improve and shape the spaces they live in.

Ana Maria Gutierrez, the co-founder of Organizmo, an organization that promotes the principles of permaculture, bio-architecture and the implementation of intuitive technologies. She holds a BFA in Architectural Design from the Parsons School of Design and Master in Interactive Telecomunication ITP from New York University.

Adriana Navarro, who holds a dual Master’s degree in Architecture, and City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley. Born and raised in Colombia (S.A), she received a BS Arch (Honors) from the University of Virginia in 2004. After working for Rafael Viñoly Architects, and OPX Global in Washington DC, Adriana moved to California to begin her graduate studies in 2007. As a 2010 John K. Branner Fellow, Adriana traveled the world, focusing her research, FAVELA CHIC, on socio-cultural aspects of design, particularly analyzing the role and relationship between architecture, planning and urban informality. Adriana is founder of the blog FAVELissues.

For more information visit http://buildinglocal.wordpress.com

Posted on

The Terra [In]cognita Project

The Terra [In]cognita (Earthen architecture in Europe) project was created to raise public awareness of the heritage and contemporary application of earthen architecture through the Outstanding Earth Architecture in Europe Award in the following categories:

  • Buildings with archaeological, historical or architectural interest
  • Buildings s subjects of a remarkable and relevant intervention (restoration, rehabilitation or extension)
  • Buildings constructed after 1970

    • View the Terra [In]cognita Project here.

Posted on

Earth Building: History, Science and Conservation

Earth Building: History, Science and Conservation by Paul Jaquin, covers various types of earth construction including adobe, cob and rammed earth. It presents a wide-ranging review of the history of earth building, tracing the development of earthen construction techniques from antiquity to the present day, and showing the development of the techniques with both time and geography. The behaviour of earth building materials is explained using, for the first time, principles from soil mechanics. There is a detailed discussion of strategies for the analysis and conservation of earth buildings to enable engineers, conservation professionals and architects to understand and preserve earth buildings better in the future. Richly illustrated with photographs and diagrams, this book provides an invaluable tool for the conservation of earth buildings.

Paul Jaquin is the author of the website, Historic Rammed Earth, which grew out of his PhD research at the University of Durham.

Posted on

Sustainable Earth Architecture Workshop

Sustainable Earth Architecture Workshop, Feb. 18 to 27, 2011

WHAT
There will be an international workshop on Sustainable Earth Architecture in Subachoque, Colombia from the 18th to the 27th of February 2011 which will include construction of Mexican style vaults/domes (up to 18 feet), production of compressed earth blocks (using the CINVA RAM, which originated in Colombia), and the use of prefabricated bahareque which is being used in Colombia to construct housing. The workshop will feature a prototype of a house constructed using bahareque.

WHO
The workshop is being sponsored by Technotierra and will be led by architects/builders Ramon Aguirre and Lucia Garzon.

WHEN
The workshop will occur during two consecutive weekends: Feb. 18, 19, 20 and 25, 26, 27th from 9 in the morning till 6 p.m. For those traveling from outside Colombia a teaching tour will happen Feb. 21, 22, and 23rd. In total the hands-on portion of the workshop encompasses 6 days (48 hours of instruction).

COSTS
US$320.00 ($580.000 Colombian pesos)
The cost includes: workshop instructional content, accident insurance, construction materials, teaching team, tools, a certificate of completion, and transportation from Bogota to the worksite in Subachoque (38 kilometros from Bogota)

MORE INFORMATION
tallerarquitecturatierra@gmail.com
cell phone: 57 3102450630

I know Lucia Garzon. She is dedicated to promoting adobe construction that meets legal requirements (in Colombia those are the Normas ICONTEC) while emphasizing the use of natural local materials that are healthy and ecological, and utilize local labor. Lucia’s enthusiasm is contagious (and she speaks a mile a minute in Spanish!). I don’t know the other instructor Bovedero Maxiano Arq. Ramon Aguirre. It appears the primary focus is on use of CEB and bahareque in construction of walls and domes/vaults.

—

TECNOTIERRA , entidad colombiana desea difundir este evento para el mes de febrero….se esta promoviendo un taller practico integral de arquitectura sostenible con tierra, el taller esta dirigido a todo tipo de publico interesado en aportar al habitar el planeta y construir su hábitat de una forma ecológica y respetuosa con la naturaleza, aminorando el gasto energético de los materiales…en esta experiencia realizaremos la transferencia tecnológica con tres sistemas constructivos.
El taller se programo dos fines de semana, 6 días y 48 horas de vivencia practica….durante el taller realizaremos practicas de las siguientes tecnicas:

1- BOVEDAS MEXICANAS, en el taller construiremos una boveda a escala real de 6 metros.
2 -PRODUCCION DE BTC, insumo indispensable para realizar las bóvedas, como también para los muros, la norma ICONTEC 5324 ya esta aprobada desde el 2005 y esta aceptado como material técnico constructivo, paralelo a ello realizaremos un aprestamiento sobre la selección de suelos para conocer el material y saber como estabilizarlo.
3- BAHAREQUE PREFABRICADO,durante los últimos meses hemos realizado un prototipo de una vivienda social con este sistema constructivo, en este ademas de las paredes realizadas, se construyo una cubierta semi-plana, con materiales naturales y todo el proyecto esta realizado con coordinación modular , racionalizando al máximo los recursos naturales y sistematicamente tenemos al detalle el costo de esta obra en Colombia, toda realizada con materiales locales naturales, sanos, ecológicos y con mano de obra local.

Como el taller es eminentemente PRACTICO, los participantes al salir de este taller al concluirlo estarán en condiciones de realizar una bóveda y saber como se planea y construye, desde su inicio hasta el final, incluyendo manejo de canales e impermeabilización, considerando la seguridad para la sismoresistencia. Así mismo podrán conocer las fortalezas y debilidades de un sistema constructivo como el bahareque prefabricado, se aprenderá como debe ser revestido y cuales son las mezclas de pañetes con cal, todos los participantes conocerán los suelos y se acercaran a la producción de los BTC o Bloques de tierra comprimida o ecológicos con la maquina CINVA RAM.

La duración del taller será durante dos fines de semana consecutivos , esto con el fin de conocer los procedimientos completos y permitir secar los morteros, inicia el viernes 18 sábado 19 y domingo 20 desde las 9 de la mañana hasta las 6 de la tarde, este fin de semana, con una hora para el almuerzo, En esta experiencia conoceremos las bases de cada técnica, y el siguiente fin de semana viernes 25, sábado 26 y domingo 27 de FEBRERO, estaremos dejando concluida la bóveda de la casa, es una obra real y podremos apreciarla integralmente, por ello se planeo en dos fines de semana para visualizar la continuidad del sistema.
El valor del taller en pesos colombianos es de $580.000 el equivalente a 320 dólares.
Este valor incluye, la transferencia del conocimiento, seguro de accidentes, materiales de construcción, equipo de trabajo, herramientas, certificado y transporte local, desde Bogota hasta la obra en SUBACHOQUE (38 Kms de Bogotá/ Dpto. Cundinamarca/ COLOMBIA).

Esta dirigido por el Bovedero Maxiano Arq. Ramon Aguirre, y estará presente un maestro especialista en Bóvedas. lacoordinación será realizada por la Arq. Lucia E. Garzón, en la alianza profesional de dos expertos de la red PROTERRA, entidad que respalda este taller.
Para los de fuera de Bogotá y/o extranjeros interesados en aprovechar la semana se ofrece realizar una salida tematica para conocer obras de tierra patrimoniales y contemporaáneas, por ello ofrecemos adicionalmente un TOUR DIDACTICO durante la semana (21, 22 y 23 de febrero).. solo esperamos que nos cuente si le interesa, es optativo y tiene un costo adicional (en el visitaremos obras de construcción con tierra en Bogota, Tunja, VIlla de Leyva y Raquira).

Para mayor información pueden escribirnos y desde allí se les entregara mayor ilustración con la preinscripción en el correo electrónico: tallerarquitecturatierra@gmail.com,esperamos nos demuestre su intéres y les haremos llegar todo el contenido del proyecto, el cupo es limitado…

Como sabemos que cada uno de ustedes tiene su red de conocidos, que les puede interesar el tema les pedimos el favor de colectivizar esta infprmación y esperamos que cada vez seamos mas profesionales y personas interesadas y con herramientas para hacer una arquitectura mas respetuosa con el medio ambiente…..

Atte
Comite organizador y Arq. LUCIA E. GARZON
Coordinadora
Celular 57 3102450630

Posted on

The 3rd Earth Building UK (EBUK) Conference

EBUK, the Earth Building UK Conference, will be held January 13th 2012 with the focus on the use of earth and clay plasters.

The use of earth and clay plasters has increased in recent years, with interest groups concerned with the conservation of historic buildings, ecologically sensitive new construction, alongside a growing interest from industry in innovative materials.

Earth and clay plasters and mortars, along with green bricks plasters and mortars are currently the most product oriented areas of the earth building family. Although many of the commercial products in this field are imported from Europe, there are a growing number of product suppliers and manufacturers in the UK. The European-wide acceptance of training standards for earth plaster which was achieved in 2011 mean there is opportunity now for a growth in the sector.

The third EBUK conference explores these issues, from user, developer and supplier. Space will be available for display of materials and products.
Conference Location: The Ron Cooke Hub at the University of York, Heslington, York. YO10 5GE.

Conference fee: The conference fee for EBUK members is £42.00. This includes refreshments and lunch. If you are not already an EBUK member the conference fee is £63.00 (this includes a full year’s membership of EBUK). For more information visit: http://www.ebuk.uk.com/index.php/?page_id=227

Posted on

FRANÇOIS COINTERAUX (1740-1830): PIONEER OF MODERN EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE

CALL FOR PAPERS
FRANÇOIS COINTERAUX (1740-1830), PIONEER OF MODERN EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE: Theory, Teaching and Dissemination of a Vernacular Technique, International Conference, Lyons, 10-12 May 2012

Organized by the Laboratoire de Recherche Historique Rhône-Alpes (LARHRA, UMR-CNRS 5190) and the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art

From 1785 onwards, the builder and master mason François Cointeraux actively promoted a construction technique of vernacular origin, known as pisé de terre (or ‘rammed earth’), which was at that time confined to southeast France. His cahiers or fascicules from the Ecole d’architecture rurale (School of Rural Architecture), published in Paris in 1790-91, were rapidly translated into seven languages (German, Russian, Danish, English, Finnish, Italian and Portuguese). They attracted the attention of major architects such as Henry Holland (1745-1806) in England, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) in America, David Gilly (1748-1808) in Germany and Nicolaï L’vov (1751-1803) in Russia, founder of a flourishing school of earthen architecture in Tiukhili near Moscow, based on Cointeraux’s school of the Colisée in Paris. Through his publications, Cointeraux generated an almost universal interest for this material, as cheap as it was abundant, and encouraged its adaptation to rural or residential architecture.

This success can largely be explained by a desire to revive rural architecture, which was in perfect harmony with both the physiocrats’ line of thought and the actions of agricultural societies. However, Cointeraux never managed to popularise its use widely and lastingly in France. His numerous publications did not achieve their expected uptake with the institutions concerned. He is nonetheless representative of a culture of invention and innovation, highly characteristic of the first industrial revolution and the birth of modern architecture. The aim of the conference is to present a synthesis of the extensive research carried out on François Cointeraux over the course of the last twenty years and to re-situate his work in the wider context of the evolution of ideas and techniques.

Organization
Laurent Baridon, Université Lyon II, LARHRA (UMR 5190), Louis Cellauro, LARHRA, Jean-Philippe Garric, INHA / AUSSER, Gilbert Richaud, LARHRA Advisory board: Hubert Guillaud, Énsa de Grenoble / CRA-Terre, Miles Lewis, Faculty of Architecture, Melbourne University, Claude Mignot, Paris-IV / Centre André Chastel, Liliane Pérez-Hilaire, Centre d’Histoire des Techniques et de l’Environnement du CNAM, Antoine Picon, Harvard School of Design, LATTS

Submission procedures
Proposals (title, abstract of maximum one page, short CV) should be sent to the organizers at the following address: cointeraux.2012@orange.fr Or: Laurent Baridon, LARHRA, Institut des Sciences de l’Homme, 14 avenue Berthelot, F-69363 Lyon Cedex 07, France

The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2011. Results of the selection will be communicated to the authors one month later. The proceedings of the conference will be published in 2013.