In 2025, students from the School of Architecture and Design (FAD) at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), led by Dr. Cristina Sotelo Salas and Dr. Daniel Olvera García, began construction on an addition to a house using natural building systems. The project aims to explore low-environmental-impact alternatives, strengthen students’ practical training, document construction […]
Author: CRAterre
March 24, 2026 | ITESO University Jalisco, Mexico The purpose of this conference is to bring together academic colleagues from different Latin American universities who, within their educational programs (curricula), integrate earthen architecture with certain subjects, workshops, seminars, degree projects, and research within the broad spectrum offered by earthen architecture, whether from the perspective […]
March 25, 26, and 27, 2026 | ITESO University Jalisco, Mexico We are pleased to announce the 2nd International Meeting on Building with Earth and Natural Materials, organized by ITESO University within the framework of the UNESCO Chair: Earth Architecture, Building Cultures, and Sustainable Development. Following the success of its first edition, this event brings […]
The world needs architects who design with care for people and the planet. Could that be you? The BASEhabitat Postgraduate Programme offers a unique 18-month learning journey that combines hands-on experience with theory. Participants engage with regenerative materials and sustainable construction techniques while exploring design approaches that respond to today’s most urgent challenges. Applications for […]
In July 2025, BASEhabitat hosted its seventh summer school on renewable building materials in Austria. An international group of trainers and participants explored building techniques with earth, straw and reeds, creating and shaping rammed earth walls, a garden pavilion and various clay brick and lightweight clay samples. Knowledge transfer, practical experience and creativity found their […]
The “HERITAGE 2025 International Conference on Earthen and Vernacular Heritage: Conservation, Adaptive Reuse and Urban Regeneration”, that took place on September 10th-13th at the Universitat Politècnica de València, has been organized within the framework of three research projects, among which “Earth4Future – Sustainable Reuse of Earthen Architecture and its Lessons for Contemporary Architecture” funded by […]
The Auroville Earth Institute has recently constructed the largest Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB) dome of 33m diameter in Gujarat, India. It was completed in 17.5 weeks (115 days). A total of 297,560 blocks of 18 different sizes, weighing approximately 2,200 tons, were carefully laid on 311 courses by an average of 22 masons, supported […]
DICAAR has run several activities during the academic year 2024-25 including one international project, educational activities, publications and awards. Among these was The Legacy of Babylon project, carried out with the University of Nahrain in Baghdad, the University of Karbala and the World Monuments Fund, which focused on historical and archaeological preservation in Iraq through […]
In the peri-urban neighborhoods of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, marked by limited resources, precarious housing and restricted access to basic services, participatory self-built housing workshops have emerged as an innovative and comprehensive strategy to face habitat challenges. This approach combines technical training with community empowerment processes, enabling residents themselves to take an active role in […]
VIIIe FULL IMMERSION NELLA TERRA
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 […]
Esfahk Mud Center
Presentation of the institution Esfahk Mud Center was established in 2015 by architect « Pouya Khazaeli » with the aim of reviving traditional clay and mud construction in Esfahk Village. We aim to learn from the past and discover innovative ways to utilize these materials. Our goal is to inform people about the significant local […]
This video shows the adaptive re-use that the Polytechnic University of Valencia made of a vernacular earthen hut (adobe, cob and wattle-and-daub) in the Valencia lagoon. This hut has needed to comply with the fire regulations, professional kitchen and public use, with a 10 cm cork and double layer of gypsum isolation and a doubled […]
Over the past six months, AVEI has continued to advance the field of earthen architecture through pioneering projects, strategic collaborations, and knowledge dissemination. Key consultancy engagements in India include the Meditation Centre in Gujarat, where AVEI is overseeing the construction of a 33m-diameter compressed stabilized earth block (CSEB) dome—one of the largest of its kind—and […]
The UNESCO Chair in Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures and Sustainable Development, created in 1998, is held by the CRAterre team of the Architecture, Environments and Building Cultures research unit at the Grenoble School of Architecture, France. CRAterre is working to gain recognition for the earth material and, more broadly, to make the most of all […]
Autum Workshop: Earth Building Material, in France – Grenoble, 14 – 25 October 2024 Application for a scholarship for young Iranian professionals available until 1st September 2024 Earthen architecture is an important part of Iran’s architectural heritage. There are many earthen sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are also many contemporary earthen buildings. […]
