The sustainability of raw earth: an ancient technology to be rediscovered

ABSTRACT

Raw earth has been one of the first construction techniques. All over the world there is varying evidence of earthen constructions. Thanks to its geological and morphological nature, Italy has a fair number of earthen constructions, albeit of limited dimensions, belonging to a constructive heritage of the past. On the other hand, China, especially the south of the country, is characterized by numerous structures of raw earth of considerable dimensions, recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The research is focused, in the Italian case, on the areas of Lucania and, in the Chinese case, on the areas of the Fujian province. The work illustrates the preliminary results of a multidisciplinary research activity centered on the recovery and enhancement of the vernacular raw earth construction. The future goal of the study is the industrialization and production of raw earth technologies through the implementation of smart manufacturing of innovative materials that will allow the contemporary use of, an ancient sustainable building tradition.

KEYWORDS:

• raw earth
• sustainability
• self-building
• industrialization
• Italy
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Graziella Bernardo

Graziella Bernardo is professor of Materials for Architecture and Materials for Restoration at the five-year degree in Architecture of the Department of European Cultures and Mediterranean of the University of Basilicata (Matera, Italy). In 1996 she graduated with honors in Environmental and Territorial Engineering from the University of Basilicata. In 2000 she obtained her PhD in ‘Science and technology of minerals and industrial by-products’ at the University of Sassari (Italy). The research activity is currently focused on two main themes: innovative materials and methodologies for restoration; sustainable and resilient building technologies. The first line of research aims at developing innovative methodologies for the conservation and restoration of artefacts of historical and artistic interest able to guarantee the effectiveness of interventions and their duration over time with reduced impacts on the environment and on the health and safety of operators. The second research topic promotes sustainable development through the implementation of resilient construction technologies able to reduce the damage caused by catastrophic events and promote the use of recyclable materials obtained from local raw materials. She is co-author of several publications, most of them in peer-reviewed international journals and international congress proceedings.

Antonella Guida

Antonella Guida is a Full Professor Technical Architecture. She is the head of the School of Architecture. Professor of Technical Architecture, Technology of Architecture and Projects for the recovery and renovation of buildings. She is Vice Director of Department of European Cultures and the Mediterranean. She is in the board of the ‘Cities and Landscapes’ Doctorate of DiCEM. The scientific attention was then developed mainly in the context of the interpretation of the methodological and design problems related to the recovery and adaptation to the changed contextual needs of the existing building, focusing on the analysis of the interconnections between the typological and technological aspects and functional ones. Other fundamental research themes are those of the recovery of the existing building heritage, of the experimental tests for the knowledge of the technical and environmental qualities of particular residential contexts (Sassi di Matera) and for obtaining a level of adequate residential comfort, of the redevelopment urban and construction. She is author of several publications. She is a member of many scientific committees of international journals and she is scientific coordinator of national and international research projects.

Giulio Pacente

Giulio Pacente he graduated in 2018 in Architecture at the University of Basilicata – Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures – Architecture, with a thesis entitled ‘Eredities of an ‘Italian modernity’, evolution and development of rural insediaments in the course of the xx century. The Taccone village in the countryside of Irsina: models and strategies for a new ruralisation.’ In 2018 he qualifi­ed as an architect at the DiCEM. In 2018 he won the public competition for admission to the PhD course at the University of Basilicata (XXXIV cycle). He is currently enrolled in the third of his PhD in ‘Cities and landscapes: architecture, archaeology, cultural heritage, history and resources’ of the DiCEM Department. The interest in the knowledge of materials and construction technologies is motivated by the current exigency of sustainable architecture, almost organic, necessarily linked to traditional materials that better than others meet the climatic needs of the territory in which the building is located. This scienti­fic interest produced a publication at the international conference AEC 2018 (Architecture Engineering Concrete) in Madrid entitled ‘Innovative evolution of traditional building techniques of minor architecture in the early 1900s.’