Earth Construction: Building Techniques Toward a More Equitable Architecture (Spring 2024)
In this professional elective, I focused on testing different materials to create the strongest brick, designing a mold, and constructing the bricks in a woodshop. In a group of 5, we each made 70 earth bricks to build a structure that could accommodate all of us. We tested various combinations of earth, water, sand, hay, bagasse (the dry pulpy fibrous material that remains after crushing sugarcane to extract the juice), and other organic materials.
This course explored Earth's potential for ecologically motivated architecture. Through lectures, presentations, and hands-on exercises, I investigated earthen material properties, fabrication techniques, and assembly strategies. The primary objective was to experiment with new architectural possibilities using earth block construction and integrate these methods into sustainable architectural practices.
Collaborators: Adeyinka Ariwajoye, Ana Cuadros, Gabe DeLiberty, Nicole Jacobo
Complete Brick Structure
Earth Brick Assembly Plan
Earth Brick Mold Plan
Testing earth brick made of earth and water.
Testing earth brick made of earth, water, hay, and sand.
Testing earth brick made of earth, water, and hay.
Testing earth brick made of earth, water, sand, and bagasse.
