Building with Earth: Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture

Cockington (Devon, England) that was built
using this technique in 1410.
A similar technique called Wellerbau, has
been known in German since medieval
times, and was especially widespread in
Thuringia and Saxony. Here, the straw loam
is not formed into clods as in the cob tech-
nique, nor compacted by throwing as with
the zaburtechnique, but is directly stacked
with a pitchfork and then compacted using
feet or rams (8 .11). The wall is built up in lay-
ers of 80 to 90 cm. After a short drying peri-
od, the surface of these layers is smoothed
with a wedge-shaped spade.

The “Dünne loam loaf ” technique

Techniques similar to the ones used in
Slovakia and Yemen, described above, were
known in North Africa. They inspired Gustav
von Bodelschwingh, a German missionary,
to adapt them to German conditions. The
resulting technique derives its name from
the small town of Dünne, where it was first
used.
Here, wet loaves of loam are stacked in
masonry patterns, but without mortar. In
order to provide better bonding to the
plaster that is applied later, a conical hole is
made on the outer face of each loaf using
the finger (see 8 .13). Three to five layers are

laid per day. A lime plaster several layers

thick is used after the wall is dry. The first

such house was built in 1925 (8 .14). Within

the next five years, more than 300 houses

were built by co-operatives, formed by

unemployed workers on the initiative of von

Bodelschwingh. The entire families of the

members participated in production and

construction.

74 Direct forming

8.8 8.9

8 .10

8 .11