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 the potential of Earth for ecologically motivated architecture. I investigated earthen material properties, fabrication techniques, and assembly strategies through lectures, presentations, and hands-on exercises. 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
Final assembly of the spiral
Process of making the earth bricks - final bricks made with earth, sand, water, and bagasse
Earth brick spiral assembly plan
Earth brick mold assembly plan
Testing earth brick made of earth, water, sand, and bagasse
Testing earth brick made of earth and water
Testing earth brick made of earth, water, sand, and hay
Testing earth brick made of earth, water, and hay
