Construction is responsible for one-third of global resource use and nearly half of global energy consumption, and buildings have a significant impact on the environment, climate and quality of life. In times of climate change, they must be built to conserve resources and be sustainably recyclable. Therefore, in the discourse on the (gray) energy balance of buildings, environmentally and climate-friendly natural and recycled materials are increasingly coming back into the public consciousness in Europe. Among them is the oldest building material in the world: clay.
As a common, cost-effective and energy-saving material, clay holds enormous potential for the construction of the future and is also increasingly being rediscovered in this country as a building solution that retains its value. Contemporary statements such as the Alnatura Campus Darmstadt, which was built using the excavated tunnel from Stuttgart 21, among other things, illustrate how a return to traditional building methods can bring ecology and sustainability to architecture. Inspiring examples can be found on all continents – and should make their way into cities.
“Clay Architecture Today” features, among others, the 40 finalists of the TERRA Awards, the first international prize for contemporary clay architecture. Presented by the international center for earthen architecture CRAterre and the research and experimentation center amàco, the award recognizes outstanding earthen building projects from around the world. From residential and commercial construction to public facilities to interior and exterior design, the projects demonstrate how versatile and aesthetically pleasing the building material earth can be used. This is not only about adding value to local resources and potential, but also about making a significant contribution to social building practices and promoting healthy living. Because clay connects sustainably: ecologically, economically fair, socially and aesthetically.
The TERRA Award exhibition was curated by Dominique Gauzin-Müller, international expert on sustainability in architecture and urban development. At the CLB Berlin, videos also provide insights into earthen building techniques, and in cooperation with Prof. Eike Roswag-Klinge from the Natural Buildung Lab at the TU Berlin, the building material earth is made tangible and experienceable in exhibits.
Illustration:
Visitor center of the Swiss Ornithological Institute, architects: mlzd, earthen construction: Lehm Ton Erde Schweiz GmbH, Martin Rauch.