With the growing understanding of the resource depletion and carbon emissions associated with construction, there is an urgent need to find low-carbon, adaptable alternatives. Ahead of this year’s Clayfest from 15-20 July, Louise Cooke from Earth Building UK and Ireland explains why you should think about building with earth on your next project.
- Earth building comes in many forms, from finishes and plasters to structures, load-bearing and non load-bearing. Some earth buildings are 1000s of years old, some can even be seen from space, and a growing number of others are brand new.
- Recycling earth (which would otherwise be viewed as construction site waste) can reduce your site’s carbon costs and support the transition to net-zero construction practices. For example, at the Tribeca natural science labs project in King’s Cross, site spoil has been converted into blocks by brick maker HG Matthews, which have been used by contractors on the site.
- Earth buildings can meet the thermal requirements of building regulations. The CobBauge project has adapted an old earth-building technique into a two-part system, combining cob and a lightweight thermal part, for projects in Plymouth, Norfolk, northern France and soon in King’s Cross.
- Earth finishes, plasters and colours are beautiful, adaptable and loved by interior designers and architects. They have been used by Apple Stores and Nando’s restaurants. Visitors and customers love the tactile surfaces and myriad colours.
- Earth is good for the senses. Earth-building materials can help regulate smells and humidity. They also help absorb sounds and can be used for noisy activities or where sound needs to be mitigated.
- Building with earth can help generate interest and support as part of considerate construction practices. Hands-on workshops can involve communities in your project and your site, bringing in the young and old and encouraging younger generations to get involved in construction.
- Earth builders are not all ‘hobbit-homed’ – we are a vibrant community of engineers, architects, builders and everything in between. Earth Building UK and Ireland (EBUKI) was established in 2008 and is a charity working to re-establish earth as a mainstream part of the built environment. Its work aligns with UN Sustainability Development Goals 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 13.
EBUKI’s annual training event, Clayfest, is supported by CIOB and offers workshops highlighting some of the most sustainable construction projects, research and teaching in the world today. Clayfest 2024 will be hosted by brick manufacturer HG Matthews at its factory in Buckinghamshire in July 2024.
Louise Cooke is the chair of trustees for EBUKI and an academic at the University of York in Archaeology and the Conservation of Earth Structures.
Comments
Comments are closed.
I built two houses with clay bricks. Solid construction, climate friendly, beautiful to the eye.