value proposition

Form and function are harmonious siblings with the power to synergize before your eyes and simply be beautiful, especially if the form is one made of earth.

“Clay is molded to form a cup, but it is on its non-being that the utility of the cup depends. Doors and windows are cut out to make a room, but it is on it’s non-being that the utility of the room depends.”
~Lao Tsu

historic significance

It is the oldest building material to be used by man. In the river sites of the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese and the Indus valley civilizations, readily available alluvial soil was used to make the first mud brick and rammed earth dwellings. Jericho, history’s earliest city, had houses built in raw earth. Harappa and Mohenjo Daro saw the use of adobe walls faced with oven baked bricks. In the Americas, there are ancient examples of earth being used as a building material. The Mexican city of Tenochtitlan had structures built of earth walls faced with lime rendering.

sustainability

Building with earth presents an opportunity for us to have a greater understanding of the value of efficiency. Planned excavations of basements, koi ponds, swimming pools etc. create a surplus of earth which can then be used in the construction of rammed earth, poured earth (earthcrete) structures, and compressed stablized earth block (CSEB). By using this naturally abundant resource that’s excavated on site, we minimize the cost and energy consumed to produce the raw material.

efficiency

Rising fuel costs mean transportation of materials to a construction site can greatly increase the cost per square foot of a finished building. Earth is probably the most efficient building material available to us.

aesthetics

Building with earth today, we benefit from the countless customs and discoveries of humanity down through the ages. The tradition attempted to be in harmony with nature, to utilize and still respect her. There is hardly any continent or country which does not have numerous examples of earth construction. But one thing calls our attention, in the earth building history: all over the world and through millennia, one is amazed by the balance and harmony of these buildings with the landscape and the surrounding environment.

thermal mass

Rammed earth, earthcrete and compressed stablized earth block (CSEB) make thick dense walls that feel solid and help to create a thermal flywheel effect which help cool a space during the day and keep it warm at night. Walls can be as thick as we want them and some houses are even built underground which adds an even greater insulation to the outside world. Even on a busy street, an earth built house is quiet and cozy!

versatility

The thing we love most about working with earth as a building material is that you can create just about anything with it. If you can conceive it, we can create it.

Now, we’re not saying you can build a skyscraper with earth, some projects are best suited for concrete and we often use concrete as a necessary component for earth construction, like as the foundation of rammed earth walls or earthcrete pillars. But one of the awesome qualities of earth as building material is the versatility it offers.

We welcome the challenge to manifest dreams. Designing with earth is limited only by our imagination. What can you imagine? Do want a humble dwelling or a magnificent chateau? How about something that’s never been created? That’s the kind of dream that inspires us. What’s next for Earth Architecture? Well that depends on the dreams and visions of today and tomorrow. We look forward to seeing what magic is created ourselves!