Course detail
Earthen Architecture
FA-HLS-KEAcad. year: 2022/2023
The course acquaints students with the issue of using earthen building material for load-bearing and non-load-bearing structures in historical and modern buildings. The course includes information about the earthen buildings development, properties, raw material sources and forms of use. An important part is also the ecological assessment of earth in terms of recycling, carbon footprint and the possibility of reconstruction or remediation. Teaching is divided into theoretical and practical part. An integral part of teaching is excursion (field trip), practical classes in the laboratory and field training.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Department
Offered to foreign students
Learning outcomes of the course unit
- Student will understand the specifics of earthen building material (properties and their optimal use in buildings).
- Student will be able to identify suitable earth for construction purposes based on their characteristics and performance of simple field tests.
- Student will be able to distinguish basic earthen structures and surfaces, including their regional and structural specifics.
- Student will be able to choose the optimal approach in the context of rebuilding and reconstruction of earthen buildings including ways of recycling construction materials.
- Student learn basic practical procedures for processing earthen building material including basic craft skills.
- Student will be able to formulate the advantages and procedure how to eliminate the disadvantages of earthen building material to meet the requirements of building industry in the present and future.
Prerequisites
Co-requisites
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes
Course curriculum
1. Earthen buildings development
2. Raw materials - types, mining, processing
3. Tests of earthen building material
4. Practical classes in the laboratory - tests of earthen building material suitability for construction purposes, tests of earthen samples
5. Ways of using earthen building material in constructions
6. Elements with the use of earthen building material
7. Structures using earthen building material
8. Earthen structures during building use
9. Rehabilitation of earthen buildings
10. Earthen building materials recycling, reuse
11. Excursion (field trip) - practical demonstration of buildings / technologies, including expert commentary
12. Interaction of earthen building material with other natural materials
13. The use of earthen building material in the present and future prospects. Discussion of seminar works
Work placements
Aims
Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences
Recommended optional programme components
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
MINKE, Gernot. Building with Earth. Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2006. ISBN 978-3-7643-7477-8. (EN)
MINKE, Gernot. Earth Construction Handbook. The Building Material Earth in Modern Architecture. Michigan: WIT Press, 2000. ISBN 9781853128059. (EN)
Rammed Earth Consulting CIC. UK guideline Appendix A, B, C (online). URL: http://rammedearthconsulting.com/rammed-earth-library.htm (EN)
SCHROEDER, Horst. Lehmbau. Mit Lehm ökologisch planen und bauen. Zurich: Springer Vieweg, 2019. ISBN 978-3-658-23120-0. (EN)
SCHROEDER, Horst. Sustainable Building with Earth. Zurich: Springer. 2016. ISBN 978-3319194905. (EN)
Recommended reading
Elearning
Classification of course in study plans
- Programme N_A+U Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional
- Programme NE_A+U Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional
- Programme BX_A+U Bachelor's
branch ARCH , 1 year of study, summer semester, elective
- Programme NE_A+U Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, elective
- Programme ARCHURB Bachelor's
branch ARCH , 3 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional
- Programme ARCHURB Master's
branch ARCH , 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional
Type of course unit
Elearning