Modern Earth Buildings

Preface

Traditional earth building materials were the mainstay of a significant proportion of past societies, and today it is estimated that around one-third of the world’s population live in buildings made from unfired earth. Since these materials and techniques are the most prolific, both historically and in modern times, and have one of the greatest proven track records in terms of longevity (some buildings being several hundred years old) it might well seem reasonable to argue that by definition they are the most conventional construction material of all. Ironically, they are commonly referred to with terms such as ‘non-conventional’, ‘alternative’ and ‘low environmental impact’ within the modern construction industries of western society. ...