Ingredients of earthen building materials
Lecture Series »Austrian Studies in Egyptian Archaeology« (ASEA)
»Ingredients of earthen building materials - From ancient to contemporary architecture«
Fikriye Pelin Kurtul-Vacek
Across different periods and geographical locations, earthen building materials have been produced and applied in different ways, demonstrating the diversity of soil types and local stabilization techniques. The consistent increase in building-related illnesses has made material considerations an integral part of architectural design in the past decade, leading to the rediscovery and evaluation of earthen building materials as sustainable construction materials. In order to obtain the health benefits of the earthen architecture, the material should remain »true to its origin« without relying on synthetic ingredients to stabilize it. It is therefore very important to study recipes from ancient building masters who were able to stabilize materials using natural methods in order to address the vulnerability of the material.
This presentation will suggest the preparation of a database of earthen building materials ingredients found at ancient sites throughout the world, including ancient Egyptian sites that possess an extensive heritage of earthen building materials. The documentation of this important past knowledge would not be lost to future generations and would be disseminated locally among earthen architecture builders.