This semester we are collaborating with BauKos FF-we are taking on the role of local material developers for BauKos GoatShed project. This elective is a group research project with the goal to develop an earth material mix for the constructive rammed earth components of Baukos GoatShed Design. We will investigate the transformation processes of locally found materials from and around the constructionside that is until now considered as waste. We focus on geosourced natural resources such as earth and stone and explore the techniques of extraction and transformation from the territory to the factory to the construction site.

We will develop an earth mix from clay, gravel, stone and water that under compression becomes a building material–how those factors work together will be studied and tested throughout the course with the professional knowledge of BCmaterials production leader Bregt Hoppenbrouwers. Finally we will test the developed material mix in collaboration with RWTHs IBAC Institute to develop a technical datasheet of our material in order to enable the GoatSheds building permit to be submitted following the new German earth construction DIN that enables load bearing earth construction to be applied in multi-storey constructions–a big break through for this vernacular building technique!

The elective dives into the influence of territory, geology and material phenomenology on earthen architecture and its construction. The elective wants to promote touching and feeling as part of the creation of materials which openup to transition potential for the future.

We will introduce principles of geo-sourced construction such as:

-Density-Friction

-(Capillary) Cohesion

-Lubrication

-Gelification

-Other Bio-polymeric processes

The aims are to:

-understand the sourcing of building material

-understand the processes of material development and its legal frameworks

-incorporate a tacit knowledge into research-reflect on the role of material culture in tackling the global crises of climate change and resource scarcity.

The knowledge we learnt there about material development and testing will be further developed and applied in a new case study in collaboration with the Horst Architecture Festival in Brussels in the upcoming semester–for those interested to dive deep into material research this is an option to extend the FF into two FFs!