The land that seeks its leading role in architecture

Earthen architecture and natural construction.

And it is that before the architecture with earth We started with the caves in our early days. Later, who had stone, He based his constructions on this noble material, although it may not seem like it to many, others, without stones at hand to build, opted for what they had most under their feet, earth and adobe.

Over the years, we have long forgotten the prominence of the construction with earth, clay, marl (Sedimentary rock composed of clay and limestone) in large buildings, which has become part of an inconspicuous element in modern architecture today.

Advantages of natural land over a construction

The earth is a harmless material and is fully recyclable.
A facility to obtain locally. Virtually any type of soil is useful for building, or you can make mixtures with another nearby material or with some improver of the mixture (lime, plaster, straw …).
Its obtaining is Respectful with the environment. It does not have associated problems such as deforestation or extractive mining that involve other construction materials.
The building with earth When using thick walls, it has a great capacity to store heat and release it later (a quality known as thermal inertia). Thus, it allows to attenuate external temperature changes, creating a pleasant indoor environment. It is especially suitable in climates with extreme fluctuations in temperature between day and night.
The earthen architecture it has excellent sound insulation properties. The earth walls they poorly transmit sound vibrations, so that they become an effective barrier against unwanted noise.
The earth is an inert material that does not catch fire, rot, nor is it susceptible to being attacked by insects.
It is a naturally breathable material. The earthen walls allow the natural regulation of humidity inside the house, so that condensation is avoided.
It is a cheap resource.

Natural construction

Within the multiple constructions with earth, there are three, that we can identify and that stand out within the world of earth construction and from "Ecological brick":

Compressed Earth Blocks (BTC):

They are prismatic elements used in factory works, they are obtained by applying pressure to the earth inside a mold, in this way the mechanical properties of the material are improved. They are usually used stabilized with lime, cement or plaster. The characteristic of this type of earth blocks, as its name indicates, is that the earth that composes them is compacted, by manual or mechanical means.

Adobe construction:

The adobe It is a block formed by a mass of uncooked clay. It is made with earth with a high percentage of clay, using a mold, and left to dry in the sun. To prevent cracking when drying, straw, dry hay, etc. are added to the dough. The proper dimensions should be such that the bricklayer can handle it easily, they are approximately 10 x 24 x 34cm.

Construction with Tapial:

The rammed earth architecture It may be one of the oldest construction typologies that can still be seen in many buildings. The technique of tapial is based on the compaction of moist soil by laying by means of its tamping in situ. A removable wooden formwork (box) of various dimensions is used, for example: 150x90cm with a width of 60cm. Its construction process includes three phases: assembly of the box or filled formwork and its compaction and dismantling or stripping.

The compacting process is traditionally carried out with a tamper, a manual compactor being that vibrators are currently used and as we will later see other techniques of interest to achieve the modern tapial in a construction typology that respects the environment in all its characteristics as well as having admirable thermal properties. (More information on Tapial from HERE)

Modern natural construction example

Once we have a general idea of its advantages and the way to build more extended from the prestigious Architecture Studio Herzog & de Meuron Before a commission from the famous candy brand Ricola that needed to expand its facilities in Switzerland, mainly industrial buildings,they started a projectwith an important premise, to build - as far as possible - buildings that are respectful with the environment, sustainable and with innovative techniques.

The Herzog & de Meuron team decided to change their way of understanding a draft of "typical construction" of industrial buildings before a commission that put them to the test. With the challenge, use local and sustainable materials They were heading towards an important goal taking into account the height and dimensions of the buildings (More than 100 meters long x 11 high)…. What if the walls are made of earth?

As an answer to the question, overnight they set up a ground processing center. Subtracted from the same place where the buildings would be located, where the process of drying, cutting, mixing and storing the walls that would form the ships would be in the same location obtaining a reduction in costs in a forceful way entering the world of the adobe architecture.

In the following image we can highlight the walls of compacted earth based on large blocks that will form the walls of the industrial building.

"The thick walls They have a large amount of thermal mass cause stability in temperature and humidity, which significantly reduces the need for air conditioning. The materials are local, less than 10 kilometers away, prefabricated in a temporary factory in a nearby town. Only in the composition of the walls is there natural and organic soil. Whose direct effect of this type of construction is that we have obtained a very energy efficient building taking into account the very adverse conditions that Switzerland has in winter.

The materials; Clay, marl and the material excavated in the place is mixed and compacted in a formwork that later, through layers, the blocks are obtained to build the walls. Thanks to the plasticity of the marl, the seams can be touched up giving the overall structure a homogeneous appearance. To stop the erosion caused by the wind and the rain, a mortar is applied to mix volcanic tuff with lime »…. Discuss the Study.

Of course the result is spectacular natural land project As you can see in the following images after 16 months of construction in front of a building that is the «Largest in Europe built with earth earth walls“With modern character.