Earth Building

Architects and engineers together for a common cause: earth building. One of the challenges that the new architecture faces is building with this kind of material. To answer that question, round tables were promoted with the support of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, on 10 and 11 November 2017.

Promoted by Associação Centro da Terra, the round tables were moderated by Ana Velosa (University of Aveiro / Centro da Terra) and Vasco Moreira Rato (ISCTE - IUL) who sought to promote the panorama of soil Architecture in Portugal as regards its legal and regulatory framework, identifying the needs for information and research in this field. Each day was dedicated to a theme: on 10 November the Thermal issue was discussed and the following day was dedicated to Structures, exploring several issues, from seismic resistance to energy certification. With the aim of discussing the themes and finding solutions for project implementation, the main focus of the event was to unveil the elements to expose and defend this type of construction within the rules and regulations in force, as well as to find a proposal for correction of these same rules taking into account the characteristics of the material, techniques and constructive solutions.

With open sessions (under registration) open to all interested, the presence of designers, builders, researchers and experts was fundamental. Along with these professionals, the architects Gregoire Paccoud, Alexandre Ferreira, Jorge Fernandes and Miguel Mendes and the engineers Helena Corvacho, Patrícia Botelho and Vasco Freitas were invited to the first session. For the second, architects Rowland Keable, Alice Tavares, Mariana Correia and Miguel Rocha, and Aníbal Costa, Humberto Varum and João Miranda Guedes at the engineering front. 

Two days of debate and disciplinary intersections, to find solutions and answer the questions that have been raised in the last period of construction on national territory.