Author(s): Tyler Survant & Anna Leshnick
Despite widespread interest in sustainable construction, a knowledge gap in both Western architectural practice and formal education still exists around earth as a building material. Pedology is the science of soil formation, classification, and mapping. Introducing basic soil science into the academic architectural studio encourages students to approach construction materials literally, and to consider the technics and politics – rather than just the aesthetics – of earth as a building medium. By engaging earthen building materials, such as those made from adobe, mud brick, or rammed earth, students also grapple with the enduring relevance of indigenous building methods, including their potential to short circuit capitalist supply chains and reduce the global warming potential of construction. As a natural resource with low embodied energy, unfired earth has far less environmental impact in construction than concrete or steel. The thermal mass of earthen walls passively stabilizes indoor temperatures and, especially in certain climates, further reduces emissions by eliminating or reducing active mechanical heating and cooling. Soil is widely available – the base material of the typical building site – and therefore easily sourced. Building with earth is relatively uncomplicated, at least in parts of the world where a low-tech but labor-intensive construction process remains more economical than the use of industrially manufactured, off-the-shelf products. The authors’ research into earthen building has both qualitative and quantitative aspects and centers on case studies from both teaching and professional practice that combine scholarly investigation with hands-on physical experimentation. A pedagogy engaged in building science and material history grapples with the environmental, social, and economic effects of material extraction and asks: as we transition away from fossil fuels and a globalized economy toward renewable energy and local resources, what are the possibilities for a more conscientious, post-carbon architecture?
Volume Editors
ISBN
978-1-944214-49-4