Earth Houses

 

Tomorrow's homes may be made of glass and steel -- or they may resemble the shelters built by our prehistoric ancestors. Architects and engineers are taking a new look at ancient building techniques.

Imagine a magical building material. It's cheap, perhaps even free. It's plentiful everywhere, worldwide. It's strong enough to hold up under extreme weather conditions. It's inexpensive to heat and cool. And it's so easy to use that workers can learn the necessary skills in a few hours.

This miraculous substance isn't only cheap as dirt, it is dirt, and it's winning new respect from architects, engineers, and designers. One look at the Great Wall of China will tell you how durable earthen construction can be. And, concerns for the environment and energy conservation make ordinary dirt look downright appealing.

What does an earth house look like? Perhaps it will resemble the 400-year-old Taos Pueblo. Or, tomorrow's earth homes may take on surprising new forms.

 

An earth house can be made in a variety of ways:

 

Adobe

Adobe is a term widely used in the southwestern United States and Spanish speaking countries. Although the word is often used to describe an architectural style, adobe is actually a building material.

Adobe "bricks" are usually made with tightly compacted earth, clay, and straw. However, construction methods and the composition of the adobe will vary according to climate and local customs.

Sometimes an asphalt emulsion is added to help waterproof the adobe bricks. A mixture of Portland cement and lime may also be added, but these materials will add to the cost. In parts of Latin America, fermented cactus juice is used for waterproofing.

 

Rammed Earth

Rammed earth construction resembles adobe construction. Both use soil mixed with waterproofing additives. However, even with the waterproofing additives, adobe requires dry weather so that the bricks can harden enough to build walls. In rainy parts of the world, builders developed "rammed earth" construction. A mixture of soil and cement are compacted into forms. Later, the forms are removed and solid earth walls remain.

Rammed earth buildings are environmentally-friendly and fire and termite resistant. Some modern-day designers also say that the thick earthen walls create a sense of solidity and security.

 

Straw Bale In the African prairies, houses have been made of straw since the Paleolithic times. Straw construction became popular in the American Midwest when pioneers discovered that no amount of huffing and puffing would blow down hefty bales of straw and grass.

Architects and engineers are now exploring new possibilities for straw bale construction. Modern day "pioneers" who are building and living in these homes say that building with straw instead of conventional materials cuts the construction costs by as much as half.

 

Cob (mud with straw)

In Old English, cob was a root word that meant lump or rounded mass. Cob houses are made of clay-like lumps of soil, sand, and straw. Unlike adobe and straw bale construction, cob does not use bricks or blocks. Instead, wall surfaces can be sculpted into smooth, sinuous forms. A cob home may have sloping walls, arches and lots of wall niches.

Cob homes are one of the most durable types of earth architecture. Because the mud mixture is porous, cob can withstand long periods of rain without weakening. A plaster made of lime and sand may be used to windproof the exterior walls from wind damage.

Cob houses are suitable for the desert or for very cold climates.

 

Compressed Earth Compressed Earth Blocks, or CEBs, are construction blocks made with clay, sand, and a stabilizing ingredient such as lime or Portland cement. The earth mixture is poured into a hydraulic press machine. Since they are machine-made, compressed earth blocks are uniform in size and shape.

 

Or, the house may be made with concrete but sheltered underground.

 

No one can argue with the environmental benefits of using mud and straw. But the ecological building movement does have critics. In an interview with The Independent, Patrick Hannay, from the Welsh School of Architecture, attacked the straw bale structures at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. "There would appear to be little aesthetic leadership here," Hannay said.

 

But, you be the judge. Does "responsible architecture" have to be unsightly? Can a cob, straw bale or earth sheltered home be attractive and comfortable? Would you like to live in one?

 

 

Translate the following word combinations into English:

 

− доисторические предки

− быть в изобилии

− сохранение энергии

− состав, структура

− делать водонепроницаемым

− цемент и известь

− ощущение прочности и надежности

− традиционные материалы

− бетон

− неприглядный, уродливый

 

 

Part 9

Louis Armstrong: An American Original