DICAAR – Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Architettura – Università degli Studi di Cagliari with the UNITWIN UNESCO Chair “Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures and Sustainable Development”, in collaboration with Luca Noli Association and Associazione Internazionale Città della Terra Cruda; supported by the Consiglio Internazionale dei Monumenti e dei Siti – Comitato Nazionale Italiano and the International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage of ICOMOS (ISCEAH), organize 2 thematic seminars, 4 days of hands-on workshop on earthen art and architecture and sustainable practices, and a guided tour to local traditional architecture.
The hands-on workshop will be coordinated by professionals trained at CRAterre and will take place at LAT at Serrenti (Sardinia, Italy).
Participants will learn to employ earth and other natural materials for arts, crafts and construction.

On the programme
The Online Seminar Program offers an international perspective on contemporary earthen architecture, focusing on sustainability, circular practices, and traditional knowledge. On Tuesday, June 10, Marwa Dabaieh (Malmö University, Sweden) will explore how natural architecture and circularity are reshaping our understanding of gravity and structure. Mariana Correia (Universidade Portucalense, Portugal) will provide a global overview of earthen architecture today. On Tuesday, June 24, Fernando Vegas and Camilla Mileto (UPV, Spain) will delve into traditional architecture in the Iberian Peninsula, while Giuseppe Desogus (University of Cagliari, Italy) will present research on the thermal performance of earthen walls and natural materials.
The Hands-on Workshop Program, coordinated by Maddalena Achenza, will take place from July 7 to 11, and offers participants an immersive experience with natural building techniques. The workshop will begin with an introduction to natural materials for construction, including soil identification, sensory analysis, and Carazas testing. Participants will then engage in practical modules covering different techniques:
- Rammed earth construction, from selecting soil to preparing mixes and using formwork and compaction tools;
- Light earth and fiber-earth mixtures, focusing on composition, mixing, and application methods;
- Natural plasters and finishes, with an emphasis on surface preparation, tools, and application techniques.
The week will conclude with a guided tour on Friday, July 11, offering participants the opportunity to discover examples of local earthen architecture and contextualize the techniques explored during the workshop.
Professional trainers
- GIUSEPPE DESOGUS | Engineer, DICAAR
- MADDALENA ACHENZA |Architect, CEAA CRAterre – ENSAG
- ALICE AGUS | Architect, PhD
- MARIANA CORREIA | Architect, DPEA CRAterre – ENSAG, MSc, PhD
- CAMILLA MILETO | Architect, PhD
- FERNANDO VEGAS LOPEZ-MANZANARES | Architect, PhD
- MARWA DABAIEH | Architect
- KINYA MARUYAMA | Architect
- SYLVIE WHEELER | Master painter and plasterer
- NURIA ALVAREZ COLL | Architect, DSA CRATerre – ENSAG, PhD
- MIGUEL FERREIRA MENDES | Architect, DPEA CRAterre – ENSAG
- JEAN-MARIE LE TIEC | Architect, DPEA CRAterre – ENSAG
- PATRÍCIA MARCHANTE | Architect, DSA CRAterre – ENSAG
Registration fees
- Professionals/companies/individuals: 350 € (before 1 Jun) or 400 € (after 1 Jun)
- Students UNICA/UNESCO CHAIR: 180 € (before 1 Jun) or 200 € (after 1 Jun)
- ICOMOS/Ass. LUCA NOLI members: 180 € (before 1 Jun) or 200 € (after 1 Jun)
- External students/workers: 250 € (before 1 Jun) or 300 € (after 1 Jun)
- Single day attendance: 100 € (before 1 Jun) or 150 € (after 1 Jun)
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
CRAterre (May 20, 2025). VIIIe FULL IMMERSION NELLA TERRA. The UNESCO Chair. Retrieved December 5, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/13ydu
