Archaeological endeavors aimed at exploring the civilizations of the past have revealed a commonality across the world. A form of architecture developed independently on every continent. Evidence shows that Neolithic communities used fertile soils and alluvial clay to construct humble abodes, creating humankind’s first durable and solid building material. Earth architecture was born at a very early age in human history. The techniques soon suffered a gradual decline as lifestyles changed, cities grew, and industrialized materials flourished. Does earth architecture have a place in the 21st-century world?
The current ecological crisis has sparked a renewed interest in ancient traditions, especially among architects. The need for reliable and sustainable eco-architecture has led many international architects to explore vernacular eco-construction. A common belief is that vernacular practices are embedded in their time, unable to find a place in the contemporary built environment. However, many examples across the world show how knowledgeable artisans are capable of re-utilizing their skills in new ways.
The architecture of the past offers building strategies that trigger technical innovations. Earth-based materials and their allied processes are witnessing a global resurgence, driven by a hope for a future that is ecologically resilient.
Egypt: Hassan Fathy
In the 1940s, Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy led a revival of earth construction in his home country. He was a firm believer in the importance of human values. Fathy identified the primary need for socially-oriented housing schemes, especially for the common Egyptian. His philosophy was driven by discovering affordable architectural solutions that suited the local context. Throughout his career, he adopted traditional technologies and vernacular forms that were relevant to the climate and local economies.
Fathy recognized the necessity for cooperative construction techniques and turned to earth for its versatile use. Earth - being an easily available and affordable material in the region - proved to be a solution to improving the conditions of Egypt’s rural poor. The local material requires little to no industrial processing or transportation, allowing the saving of energy and resources. In Egypt, mud is abundant, can be recycled, and has excellent thermal properties for the region’s heat. The material is easy to use and there is an availability of skilled earth masons. Here, earth bricks are sun-dried rather than fired in kilns, making it a low-tech and low-energy alternative.
Fathy’s ideas were innovative imaginations of ancient architectural concepts from Egypt. His earth buildings were sound in structural facets, allowing him to be explorative with architectural forms. Fathy’s five-decade career pioneering earth architecture influenced a wide range of structures across the Global South. Many Indian architects referred to his examples of localized mud architecture to apply it in modern contexts. His principles spread across Africa, the Middle East, and eventually New Mexico.
France: CRAterre
France is one of the few countries that houses the most major techniques of earth architecture like wattle and daub, adobe bricks, and rammed earth. Following the footsteps of Hassan Fathy and François Cointeraux, the French research group CRAterre focuses on developing techniques in earth architecture. Spurred by the ecological revolution in the late 1970s, CRAterre has been promoting a global strategy of regenerating and modernizing the art of earth construction. The group has pioneered the exploration of the potential of vernacular building in France and across the world.
The nonprofit association is on a mission to keep traditionally passed-down information alive and far-spread. Through specialized training, research, and practical experience, the group familiarizes students with architectural creations with earth. CRAterre’s explorative research led them to develop cutting-edge methods such as poured earth concrete, raw earth, and plant fiber mixtures, prefabricated rammed earth and 3D printed earth structures.
Since its establishment, CRAterre’s training programs have been combined with a strategy to bring together a wide range of collaborators - builders, scientists, teachers, and students. Life-size prototypes of raw earth public housing have been developed across the world, some of which have been built and used. Their process involves an in-depth analysis of each local building’s culture and resident population. Macro and micro-territorial elements like local materials and cultural needs are combined to create contemporary mud architecture.
India: Auroville Earth Institute
In the world’s largest and most rapidly growing carbon economy, the Auroville Earth Institute (AVEI) was established to test and proliferate the practice of sustainable earth construction techniques. In the 1980s, the founder Satprem Maini became one of the first people to complete CRAterre’s training courses. He brought his learnings back to India to set up AVEI as an initiative to train students in earth architecture. Through regular participatory workshops, the Institute strives to educate and empower people to build their own structures using earthen techniques.
The non-profit organization is involved in the research, development, promotion, and transfer of earth-based building technologies, simultaneously leading a movement across the Indian subcontinent. AVEI has invented a type of compressed earth brick fabricated with a series of manual and mechanized block presses. They have also developed a wide range of techniques using stabilized earth, particularly for vaults and domes. These prototypes have found a place in public buildings and low-cost housing initiatives across India.
AVEI wishes to take advantage of India’s long history of self-building seen in vernacular practices. Establishing a ‘new vernacular’ using modern technology with stabilized earth, their philosophy is based on cross-curricular training in local materials and contemporary techniques. Modern India has developed so rapidly that vernacular architecture has not had the time to catch up. AVEI puts earth at the forefront of reimagining modernity in India.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on November 28, 2022.
