Project R-11550

Circular building with raw earth: Developing building solutions for reversible applications in contemporary sustainable architecture (Research)

Raw, unfired earth has regained interest in modern architecture as a low-impact, widely available and highly recyclable building material. Meanwhile, demands to implement circular economy principles in the construction sector are increasing. However, little is known and experienced about the implementation of raw earth in circular buildings and architects will need guidance on how to effectively and efficiently use this material in a circular built environment. Therefore, the aim is to explore the potential of earth architecture in circular construction and to develop earthen building solutions for reversible applications in contemporary sustainable architecture. The first objective is to analyse the circularity of earthen constructions in order to identify the challenges and opportunities for raw earth in circular building design by means of a literature review, interviews and focus groups with experts and case studies. The second objective is to design and develop illustrative earthen building solutions for reversible applications in contemporary architecture. This is done through research by design in workshops, seminars, hands-on experiments and the development of prototypes applied to a specific case. The third objective is to develop design support for architects, by translating the outputs of the previous objectives into readable recommendations and guidelines. The expected outcomes are a SWOT analysis, a validation of case-specific prototypes, and new construction details and manuals. This may lead to the development of design support for architects towards building with raw earth in a circular context, which may convince early adopters to design circular buildings with raw earth in the near future.

01 February 2020 - 19 January 2025