#RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS
Earth Bricks
Developed out of Atelier Tekuto's Earth Project, Earth Bricks is the first house in contemporary Japan to use soil as its primary structural element.
The project brought together a team of academic and industry experts to create and test a strong building material made from earth and natural additives that could be assembled in masonry walls.
The external walls of the house are composed from 2,500 of these earth blocks, each measuring 400mm x 250mm x 100mm, hand formed and stacked into a curved oval shape by Atelier Tekuto staff. Clerestory windows made from semi-transparent glass bricks, laminated veneer lumber room partitions and loft, and hand polished concrete flooring complete the "high-density" space. A soft light filters in from the windows, highlighting the strength of the walls while at the same time adding a sense of depth to the interior.
Tell us about the concept and design process for this project.
Four years ago, I got together with researchers from two univeristies and several corporations to establish a study group focused on making structures from soil. At that stage we needed to choose an additive to mix into the soil, and we decided on magnesium oxide (MgO) for several reasons. First, it can be handled safely by untrained workers Second, it reacts chemically with water to form a material with adequate structural strength. And third, it breaks down fully in the natural environment.
How did you get involved with the residential design project using the new material?
Just as we were carrying out tests at the university and beginning to realize the potentialof the soil mixture as a structural material, a client approached me about designing a house. I told the client about the new material, showed them the experiments, and discussed the pluses and minuses of using it. Ultimately, the client commissioned me to build the first house in the world to use our earth mixture.
Did the house as it was actually built differ in any way from your original design? Tell us about any difficulties you encountered and how you overcame them.
In part because this was the first time the material was used for building, we encountered many unexpected issues. Almost all of the 2,500 earth bricks were produced by staff from my office. On average eight staff members per day worked for six months making them, and four staff spent three months stacking the bricks to make the structure. Of course we were working under the supervision of professional craftsmen, but because the bricks had to be air-dried to ensure strength and weather was a big factor, the project was very difficult.
How is this project similar or different from others you have worked on?
In my work as an architect I have experimented with a wide variety of building materials and obtained patents for some of them. Developing this mixture of soil and magnesium oxide was one of the most time-consuming and difficult of these projects. But given that we are living in such a critical era for the environment, I’m very happy to have been able to develop a fully recyclable building material.
What is most important for you during the design process?
Putting requests from the client first. Together with that, assessing broader social contexts and consistently thinking about how we can give back to society. Finally, finding a theme within each project and carrying it out.
How does this project fit into the context of contemporary architectural trends, especially in terms of sustainability, community, and technology?
I think this project is at the cutting edge of contemporary architecture. From now on it’s important that we start reassessing familiar materials and developing new ways to use them. Earth is the most affordable material for pretty much anyone in the world. Not only that, but just like the Japanese proverb that tells us “everything returns to dust in the end,” this material literally returns to the earth. So it has zero negative environmental impact. Plus, it makes building possible anywhere, even on Mars.
What did you learn from this project? What do you want to bring from this project to future work?
I’m glad that it’s given me a chance to broadly rethink my approach to building materials. We are still very much in the process of experimenting with soil. Our main research topics have to do with achieving a stable degree of strength and developing a simple machine to make the bricks. We’re also experimenting with soil from the tsunami inundation area in Tohoku. After thorough testing, we’re planning to collaborate with local residents to build several dozen storehouses using the bricks.
