HABITAR A TERRA: A Arte de Construir em Terra Crua

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Sponsored by an initiative of the cultural service of the embassy of France and Centro da Terra, is the lecture, HABITAR A TERRA: A Arte de Construir em Terra Crua (To Inhabit The Earth: The Art of Building with Earth) by Jean Dethier. The conference will be held on two separate dates and locations, Porto, Portugal January 17 and Lisbon, Portugal on January 19. Dethier has been investigating this topic for more than 60 years, having being associated the initiatives that have led to resurgences of this building tradition in industrialized countries. The subject of the lecture framed by a traditional perspective, archaeology, modernity and the future of earth architecture, which will include the publication of a book, as well as films for television, and an exhibition on the subject for 2005 that will offer an opportunity to learn about the buildings, cities and cultures that had used this material since the antiquity.

Earth Architecture Discussion Forums

Two discussion forums on the web dealing with earth architecture are:

Adobe Group, Suncured earthen adobe bricks, not the software, used for home and large building construction. Mainly a forum for owner-builders worldwide to exchange ideas, techniques, inspiration and support. Professional builders, architects, engineers and students are most welcome. This group was founded on the idea that plain, simple adobe as used over the millennia works well in the modern world and needs no improvement, just encouragement. English language group moderated by Quentin Wilson of El Rito, New Mexico, U.S.

Arqui-Terra, La tierra ha sido y es el material de construcción más utilizado por la humanidad. La ciudad prehispánica de Chan Chan (Perú), las murallas milenarias, las kasbahs de Marruecos, mezquitas de Mali, rascacielos de Yemen, algunas obras de Gaudí y modernos hoteles en EEUU son de tierra. También un tercio de las viviendas de la humanidad. Esta lista pondrá en contacto a los interesados por la arquitectura de tierra europeos y latinoamericanos, para su estudio y conservación. Spanish language group moderated by Jose Maria Sastre Martín of Castilla y León, Spain.

The Adobe Alliance

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The Adobe Alliance, led by Simone Swan, is an organization whose goals are to to build low-cost energy efficient housing that is climatically and environmentally compatible and to fill widespread needs for sustainable, salubrious housing while enhancing the unique landscape of the Big Bend region of West Texas and other desert environments.