By Gernot Minke

Earth, in common use for architectural construction for thousands of years, has in the past thirty years attracted renewed attention as a healthy, environment-friendly and economical building material. What needs to be considered in this context? The manual Building with Earth: Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture, which has been translated into many languages, describes the building technology of this material. The physical properties and characteristic values are explained in a hands-on manner: with proper moisture protection, earth buildings are very durable, and in particular the combination with wood or straw allows a wide spectrum of design options. Numerous built examples demonstrate the range of applications for this fully recyclable material.

Fifth and revised edition.