Back to the Origins – With Both Hands in the Earth

Back to the Origins – With Both Hands in the Earth

In the first semester of the Master’s program Architecture – Green Building, students moved from theory to practice during a hands-on workshop on building with clay. Building on their theoretical understanding of natural materials, they gained direct, tactile experience with one of humanity’s oldest and most sustainable building materials: earth.

The students brought their own clay sample and began by analyzing its properties using traditional testing methods—smelling, rubbing it between their hands, performing drop tests, and experimenting with sand mixtures. These simple yet precise techniques revealed the unique characteristics of the local soil.

With these insights, the students explored a range of earthen construction techniques: from thrown and rammed earth to pressed clay bricks mixed with straw, and finally to the delicate art of fine clay plaster.

The workshop offered not only practical skills but also a deeper understanding of material cycles, local resources, and the sensory qualities of natural building. In direct contact with the earth, students experienced how sustainable construction begins—with both hands in the soil.