MUD WORKS!
Ideas and concepts around the structure and installation
Participants: Anna Heringer, Martin Rauch, Andres Lepik
Earth is more than a building material. The relation between human beings and this material is as old as human kind, but we almost lost contact. This installation invites to experience this material in a very intimate way. In our work we mostly find it difficult to convince clients to believe in the quality of earth, it`s stability, it`s haptic treasures, its richness in colors, the positive influence on our body and mind. This is difficult to transmit via pictures. It needs to be felt.
This is why we transformed our exhibition space with 25 tons of mud into an immediate experience built in earth
- a rammed earth floor with a rammed earth bench
- a rammed earth wall piece as an artwork ( Stampflehmbild)
- mud-casein colours on the walls
- a sculpture to sit in called “Pepita” (the Italian word for Nugget) in Zabur technique, layer by layer shaped with the hands only.
Where can one find mud in Venice? The town is made of bricks. The factory and clay source of SanMarco - Terreal Italia is close by, located on the mainland, and has a storied history in producing Venice’s most important building material. This time the mud is unfired!
A slow architecture of the senses
The Zabur technique as it was used for shaping the Pepita sculpture, is the most simple and direct way of building, is shaping architecture by hand. Without formwork the wet material, a mix of clay and stones and in this case traditional coggiopesto (recycled bricks) from Venice is applied in layers of about 15 cm height. The walls although 15 – 10cm thin are load bearing. The sculpture is unsealed and thus contributes to a comfortable indoor climate, especially through balancing the humidity. The shiny surface is achieved with a fine mud plaster, polished by hand at the right moment, the right speed and pressure.
The rammed earth wall panels were prefabricated in two parts.
Dabei wird in einer 10 cm starken Schalung erdfeuchtes Lehmmaterial in Lagen eingeschüttet und durch stampfen verdichtet. Der Arbeitsablauf ist nachvollziehbar, die Verdichtung durch physische Energie- ähnlich dem Gesteinsbildungsprozeß- wird sichtbar. Durch diese starke Verdichtung und lediglich durchs trocknen wird der Stampflehmwand ohne weitere Zutaten hart und tragfähig. Der Arbeitsprozess bleibt sichtbar, die Individualität der Arbeit wird spürbar. Martin Rauch
The bench and the floor were produced with the same mix as the Pepita, only in a more dry form and with more stones. Dabei wird die krümmelige Stampflehmmischung in einer Stärke von ca, 12 cm flächig ausgelegt und mit einer Rüttelplatte verdichtet, geglättet und nach dem trocknen mit carnaubawachs oberflächenbehandelt.
The floor is waxed with the natural Carnauba wax. All constructions are fully recyclable without loss of quality.
Dissemination of Know-How
The construction of this installation was partly linked to a workshop on earthen structures. The TUM Associate Professorship of Architectural Design and Timber Construction, Prof. Hermann Kaufmann is going to build hospital facilities in Cameroon during the summer semester of 2016. The installation in Venice was a great chance to learn mud building techniques – we anticipate the know-how gained will travel far beyond this Biennale.
Curatorial Statement
by Andres Lepik
Earth, clay, mud, loam ... one of the world’s most ancient building materials has many names, colors and forms. Although it is such a venerable tradition in human civilization, Architecture as a discipline (with capital “A”!) turned away from its use long ago. Let’s face it: earth as building material has a reputation as “primitive” in contemporary times. Even the millions of people who still dwell in houses made of clay feel disadvantaged. As a result, hardly any universities worldwide teach how to build with earth; research into this technology appears to be limited to ethnography.
But wait! … What if architects were to question this doctrine and find new inspiration from this material? What if they were to start anew with research and design projects that generate contemporary models for its application?
Anna Heringer and Martin Rauch do just this – and are fully aware of how much energy and creativity are required to impact public opinion and assuage the doubts of this discipline. Nevertheless, they are convinced that this change is possible through practical projects. The potential of earth as a building material can best be understood when we see it and touch it. Involving both improved knowledge of its history as well as innovative approaches to construction and design, it is imperative that we engineer a renewed appreciation for its – and therefore our – future.
3 Billion people on this planet live in buildings made of mud. For good reason!
Mud is still the predominant building material of our world’s population. From Latin America to Africa, from Europe to Asia – it is available almost everywhere and available at a low cost. It comes directly from the earth and can be returned to the earth without any harm to the environment. It has been used since the beginning of human habitation – for any purpose, whether in spacious rural or dense urban contexts. It has incredible and yet undiscovered potential for the future.
Currently, more and more mud structures are being replaced with materials that require non-renewable resources that consume energy and create high levels of carbon dioxide pollution. Simply put, the planet does not possess enough resources to build 7 billion homes out of concrete and steel. We need to explore mud as the material for our future cities and homes. We need more research, detailed technical development, and new architectural solutions to address the needs and aspirations of current and futures societies. We need to discuss this material, widely publish it in magazines, present it in exhibitions, and embed it in the curriculum of universities. We need to train new craftsmen. We need projects that reflect the stability, the comfort, the social and ecological relevance, and the beauty of mud architecture.