workshops - basehabitat · architecture at the universitat politècnica de catalunya (upc). she...

INTRODUCTIONWORKSHOPS

ADOBERAMMED EARTH

EARTH I FIBRE I SURFACEBAMBOO

on modern earthen architecture and bamboo constructionsINTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL

Photography: Ivan Tamayo Ramos

ADOBEAMÁCO TEAM

Gian Franco Noriega

Zoé Tric

Nuria Alvarez Coll

ABOUTTHE AMÀCO TEAM

“atelier matières à construire” (amàco) is an educational resources

center that aims to upgrade, in a sensitive and poetic way, the quali-

ties of naturals materials (such as sand, clay, water, fibers… etc.) in

their relationship with building arts. The project aims to disseminate

knowledge and take part in a global paradigm shift of our environ-

mental approach, stimulating creativity to re-connect emotion and

intellect in construction practices. Looking for a new conception of

the idea of progress and innovation, and inspired by the experien-

ce of nature and its genius of simplicity, the project brings together

insights of different disciplines to explore, share and learn by doing.

This way, artists, architects, engineers, scientists, philosophers, re-

searchers and others, participate in a multidisciplinary and experi-

mental project.

amàco is based in France and is supported by a governmental pro-

gram called “Investissements d’Avenir” through the National Rese-

arch Agency (ANR) and receives endorsement by 4 partners : Grands

Ateliers, ENSAG, INSA Lyon, ESPCI ParisTech.

adobe 01

WORKSHOPCONTENT

The aim of the adobe workshop is to experiment and explore aesthetics

potentials of raw earth-based bricks in contemporary architecture

and design. Through theory inputs and practical experimentation of

this ancestral building technique, participants will follow a creative

process in order to “learn by doing” the physical qualities of earth, the

parameters that influence its transformation in a building material

and the qualities of bricks based structures to finally grasp building

and aesthetics potentials.

The participants will design and build, learn about different aspects of

matter behavior, molding principles and construction parameters of

earth-based bricks to stimulate and feed their own design creativity.

These are some of the topics that will be emphasized:

- Overview of “mud bricks” building culture: from vernacular to

contemporary architecture.

- Evolution of technical practices and building logics with mud bricks.

- Understanding earth material physical qualities and building

properties.

- Perspectives for architecture and design.

adobe 03

WORKSHOPMOTIVATION

Amàco teaching method is based on experimentation and hands-

on approach. As a pedagogical project we emphasize aesthetics

and emotion as creative vectors to instill curiosity in participants

for natural materials architectural potentials. We believe that these

methods foster open-mindedness and pleasure of learning. We

give a priority to teamwork to encourage knowledge exchange and

interdisciplinary to develop a collective intelligence.

Moreover, amàco principal motivation is to build and disseminate in

a big scale a scientifi c and an eco-friendly technical building culture.

In that matter, we are specialized in developing building techniques

using local materials like earth and natural fi bers. Every workshop we

take part is an opportunity to put into practice our teaching methods,

to experiment and to exchange with other participants around the

question that animates us: How to think and build our environment?

adobe 04

RAMMEDEARTH

DOMINIK ABBREDERIS

TOBIAS FRITZ

Visiting expert: Martin Rauch

ABOUTDOMINIK ABBREDERIS

Born in Feldkirch, Austria in 1983. It was a coincidence that he met

Martin Rauch which led to a four-year collaboration. “The experience

in his company gave me the chance to get to know rammed earth

technique and its peculiarities, while taking part in some great

earth construction projects. My choice to attend the advanced

training „Fachkraft Lehm“ in Germany, was driven by a need to

learn about different earth construction techniques, while getting a

deeper understanding of the material.” 2014 he was workshop tutor

at BASEhabitat Summer School. He has spent last year working

independently in South America and Africa at different projects and

workshops. From 2016 on he will work as construction supervisor for

BASEhabitat.

VISITING EXPERT | MARTIN RAUCH

He was born 1958 in Schlins, Austria. In 1999 he founded the company

‚Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst GmbH‘. In cooperation with BASEhabitat

he has been leading several international workshops amongst others

in Bangladesh, South Africa and Austria. Since 2010 he is honorary

professor from the UNESCO-chair for Earthen Architecture.

rammed earth 01

PROJECTSPRODUCTION- & BUILDING MANAGER WITH M. RAUCH

Ricola Herb center | Basel, Switzerland | 2012-2013

Swiss Ornithological Centre | Switzerland | 2013-2014

ETH Earth Dome | Zurich, Switzerland | 2014

King Abdulaziz Center/Saudi Arabia | 2014-2015

School Pavillon/ALLENMOOS | 2014

PERSONAL WORKS

La Bodega | Mexico | 2013-2014

Rammed-earth oven | Rankweil, Austria

MOTIVATION

I´m looking forward to the Summer School 2016. It won´t be just the

occasion to meet great people from all around the world, but also a

good chance to pass on a bit of my passion for rammed earth.

rammed earth 02

WORKSHOPCONTENT PAGE 1

Silt, clay and soil are natural building materials and occur in different

compositions under the top mold in every part of the world. Hard-

ly any silt is the same. In its damp condition, silt is according to its

composition, a more or less ductile material that becomes load be-

aring through air-drying. More than a third of the world‘s population

lives in houses, which have been built completely or at least to some

part in silt and rammed earth. Worldwide, up to 40 different earthen

building techniques have been applied. Just as different as the local

silt and soil compositions are, so are the according earthen building

techniques.

Rammed earth is a thousand of years old building technique and is

a widely used. Crumbly, soil-damp and relatively lean silt matter is

poured in layers into a mould and compressed mechanically.

rammed earth 03

WORKSHOPCONTENT PAGE 2

Rammed earth is very solid, its density can be compared to concrete

and its specific weight is, according to the mixture and its location

from 1,8 to 2,2 t per cubic meter. Its best use is for load bearing eart-

hen structures. The technique can also be applied technically and

creatively for heat storing in glasshouses and in the combination with

heating systems.

The aim of the workshop is to get an intensive hands-on experience

and to gain application-orientated knowledge in building with

rammed earth technique.

Within the workshop, we are going to do some tests and experiments

to get a deeper insight into the building method.

We are also going to build a wood fired oven out of rammed earth,

which can be used to bake pizza and bread.

rammed earth 04

EARTHFIBRE

SURFACESTEFAN NEUMANN

THOMAS HAGELSTEIN

ABOUTSTEFAN NEUMANN

Stefan Neumann was born in 1974 in Lübeck, Germany. He is a

learned carpenter, civil engineer and building biologist. His first

experiences with clay go back to his time in the ‚Lauenburgische

Lehmwerkstatt‘ with Renata Wendt.

Stefan Neumann has been working with clay since 2002 and is

also a member of the umbrella organization for clay builders. He

founded his company ‚Naturbauwerk‘ in 2006 that deals with natural

building materials, with a focus on clay. During the last few years

he has worked together with Martin Rauch, Hubert Heinrichs, Anna

Heringer and Uwe Wirthwein.

THOMAS HAGELSTEIN

Thomas Hagelstein was born in 1958 in Hamburg, Germany. After a

period as a poet he studied Ecological House Consulting at the IBN

Neubeuern in 1995. Since 1989 he is working with clay, in 2002 he

founded asanto Lehmbaustoffe, manufacturing clay plasters. After

20 years of working expieriences as a professional clay plasterer,

he‘s now focussing on the production and trade of ecological building

materials. He is also a member of the umbrella organization for clay

builders.

earth I fibre I surface 01

PROJECTSSELECTION I STEFAN NEUMANN

Park for archaeology in rammed earth

Archäologischer Park I Xanten, Germany

Office building in rammed earth

Bürogebäude Hamm

DESI, Bangladesh („Weller“)

BUGA-wall in rammed earth

BUGA-Wände

Neubau FNR-Gebäude (rammed earth)

Various local building sites with clay- and lime- plaster


WORKSHOPCONTENT

Within the workshop I would like to impart basic knowledge about

several traditional and modern cob-techniques for load bearing or

non-loadbearing usage, e.g.

- Production of light loam and light loam bricks.

- Cob techniques

- Rammed Earth Floor

- Plaster

- identification of different clay varieties

There will also be space for experimentation. In order to consider the

working-conditions at the participant‘s origin, I would like to do most

of the work by hand/foot.


WORKSHOPMOTIVATION

For a long time I have been fascinated by the idea of ecological

building, especially with natural materials. As one of the oldest

building materials I have marked preferences for clay, clay products

and -techniques. For me sustainable building means not only

working without harmful materials or minding energy efficiency but

also considering the ecological footprint of a building. This applies

to the production as well as the disposal or recycling of materials. In

this respect clay offers a lot of advantages.

It gives me big pleasure to share my fascination and knowledge about

this wonderful building material and to work with hands and feet. I am

especially looking forward to a vivid exchange with the participants

within the workshop.


BAMBOOGRETA TRESSERRA

AND TEAM

Greta Tresserra

Fatima Martin Alvaro

José Solano

ABOUTGRETA TRESSERRA

Greta Tresserra was born in 1983 in Barcelona, Spain and studied

architecture at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). She

finished her postgraduate degree “Sustainable Architecture and

Energy Efficiency” in 2008 and her master degree “Construction and

Engineering in Developing Countries” in 2009.

Greta has been promoting the use of bamboo and her vision

for architecture at many leading international conferences and

workshops and has also worked as a collaborate professor at the

Technische Universität (TU-Berlin, Germany) and Universidad

Javeriana (Cali, Colombia).

FATIMA MARTIN ALVARO

Fatima Martin Alvaro is working as a consultant, architect and

trainer in several states of India. She is developing projects for

both, government and private sector, and giving workshops for

several Indian and European Universities. In 2015, she was hired by

BASEhabitat for technical consultancy and construction direction

for teachers accommodations in Sunderpur, Bihar, India. Currently

she is starting the company Bambulenat, dedicated to integral

development of bamboo construction projects and furniture.

bamboo 01

PROJECTSSELECTION

GRETA TRESSERRA

Mwakkiki Primary School I Mwakkiki,Tausa, Kenya I 2009

PAPERBOO - Selfmade housing with bamboo&recycling paper I

Bangalore, India I 2010

Colegio de las Aguas de Montebello - La Vieja I Cali, Colombia I 2014

Hostal El Viajero I Cali, Salento, Colombia I 2013

Ecoparque Las Garzas I Cali, Colombia I 2015

Ecoparque El Embudo I Cali, Colombia I 2015

FATIMA MARTIN ALVARO

Shade Structure for Sagunto National Park, Valencia I 2011

Shade Structure on the International Competition Bilbojardin I

(Citizens Award) I 2011

Library Pavilion, Nagaland, India I 2012

Shelter Home I Meghalaya, India I 2012

Family Guest House I Auroville, India I 2013

Organic Market I Madha Pradesh, India I 2014

Eco-tourism Resort I Madha Pradesh, India I 2015 (ongoing)

bamboo 02

WORKSHOPCONTENT

In the course of this workshop, the participants will learn about the

plant, how it can be turned into a construction material, the “golden

rules” for an efficient design and the different building techniques

depending on the available species of bamboo.

We will teach the different types of joints that work best with bamboo,

the tools needed, (drill, chainsaw, etc) and how to use them safely

and effectively.

New forms of modern architecture will also be explored by taking

a practical approach to working with this wonderful lightweight

material.

bamboo 03

WORKSHOPMOTIVATION

Bamboo is an excellent alternative to conventional building materi-

als, such as concrete and steel, for having similar mechanical pro-

perties, but a much lower ecological impact. Thanks to its fast growth

(over 20cm a day) it should also be chosen over wood, in order to stop

deforestation and help to mitigate climate change.

The material is locally available in the tropical zones of 4 continents,

it is easy to handle and cheap to buy. The building techniques can be

basic, which is most desired when employing unskilled workers.

Furthermore, bamboo is incredibly beautiful in all its forms: bended,

straight, green, yellow, thick or thin.

So bamboo is an ideal material for a multitude of challenges: It can

be used in remote communities, housing or city infrastructure. It is

suitable for either limited budget or high budget projects, and it can

form the simplest structures or be included in contemporary high-

tech solutions.

Bamboo is at present “unknown” by many architects, but we are loo-

king forward to tackling that by spreading our knowledge to you du-

ring this workshop.

bamboo 04

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