permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

*Currently it is estimated that one half of the world's 
population---approximately three billion people on six 
continents---lives or works in buildings constructed of earth.* And 
while the vast legacy of traditional and vernacular earthen construction 
has been widely discussed, little attention has been paid to the 
contemporary tradition of earth architecture. Author Ronald Rael, 
founder of Eartharchitecture.org provides a history of building with 
earth in the modern era, focusing particularly on projects constructed 
in the last few decades that use rammed earth, mud brick, compressed 
earth, cob, and several other interesting techniques. EARTH ARCHITECTURE 
presents a selection of more than 40 projects that exemplify new, 
creative uses of the oldest building material on the planet.

An engaging narrative addresses the misconceptions associated with earth 
architecture. Many assume that it's only used for housing in poor rural 
areas---but there are examples of airports, embassies, hospitals, 
museums, and factories that are made of earth. It's also assumed that 
earth is a fragile, ephemeral material, while in reality some of the 
oldest extant buildings on the planet are made of earth. The book also 
touches on many topics that pervade both architecture and popular media 
today, such as the ecological benefits and the politics of building with 
earth, particularly in developing nations where earth buildings are 
often thought of as pre-modern or backward. With captivating discussion 
and more than 300 images, Earth Architecture showcases the beauty and 
simplicity of one of humankind's most evolved and sophisticated building 
technologies.

ISBN 9781568987675 8.5 x 9 inches (21.6 x 22.9 cm), Hardcover, 208 pages 
222 color illustrations; 96 b/w illustrations

*About the Author*
Ronald Rael is an Architect, Author and Assistant Professor of 
Architecture at The University of California, Berkeley. He is the 
founder of EarthArchitecture.org, a clearing house of information on the 
subject.

*EARTH ARCHITECTURE --- THE WEBSITE*
Dirt---as in clay, gravel, sand, silt, soil, loam, mud---is everywhere. 
The ground we walk on and grow crops in also just happens to be the most 
widely used building material on the planet. Civilizations throughout 
time have used it to create stable, warm, low-impact structures. The 
world's first skyscrapers were built of mud brick. Paul Revere, Chairman 
Mao, and Ronald Reagan all lived in earth houses at various points in 
their lives, and several of the buildings housing Donald Judd's 
priceless collection in Marfa, Texas, are made of mud brick. The Earth 
Architecture website focuses on architecture constructed of mud brick 
(adobe), rammed earth (pisé), cob, compressed earth block or other 
methods of earthen construction and serves as a database for the 
discussion and dissemination of events, resources, and images of earth 
architecture in the context of contemporary architecture culture.
--

Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
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