Soil in architecture

Earthen architecture across time and regions

Soil-based construction is both global and timeless. Across continents and cultures, people have adapted local soils to build homes, storage structures, and public buildings suited to their environment and available resources. Many of these buildings have stood for centuries and are still in use today. Explore examples of earthen buildings worldwide from past and present. Do any of them look familiar to you?

 

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Slide 1: © Wine cellar lane (“Kellergasse”), Austria, by Manfred Kuzel, CC BY-SA 4.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 2: © Farmhouse in Belgium, by Sally V, CC BY-SA 4.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 3: © Half-timbered houses in France, by JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 4: © Fired brick stone buildings in the UK by Whatlep, CC BY-SA 2.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 5:  © Modern house in Ireland by Espresso Addict/ Modern house beneath Caher / CC BY-SA 2.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 6: © Cave house in Granada, Spain by www.viajar24h.com, CC-BY 2.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 7: © Alhambra in Granada, Spain, by Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, there were no changes made to the original photo

Slide 8: © Traditional house in Pakistan, by Khalid Mahmood, CC BY-SA 3.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 9: © The Monastery, Petra, Jordan, by Diego Delso, delso.photo,  CC BY-SA 4.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 10: © Traditional house in Benin, by Aimeabibis, CC BY-SA 4.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Slide 11: © Aït Benhaddou, Marocco, Cian Fenton, CC BY-NC 2.0

Slide 12: © A remote western section of the Great Wall, China, by Doron, CC BY-SA 3.0

Slide 13: © Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, USA, by Karol M., CC BY-2.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Would you like to learn more about how Taos Pueblo was built hundreds of years ago?

Watch this video (~ 5 min) to gain an insight and take a look inside this impressive building.