Building with Earth: Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture

149 Introduction

II Built examples

As shown by the examples in this chapter, modern

houses whose principal building material is loam need

have no particular or characteristic type of outward

appearance. They can be traditional or modern, simple

or sophisticated, humble or exclusive. In cold climates,

the loam as a building material is normally not visible

from the outside, since it is covered by the necessary

additional thermal insulation and weather protection

materials. Interiors, however, can display a variety of

earth building techniques and their manifold applica-

tions. In this chapter, various buildings of this kind are

documented, together with examples from warmer

climatic zones where less thermal insulation is needed;

these examples, hence, also display earthen exterior

surfaces.