Earthen Architecture: the ancient experiences as basis for the development of contemporary architecture

Earthen constructions have always been deeply influenced by economics, social life and local traditions. This has produced numerous architectural languages different from each other, but all characterized by formal richness and technical cleverness. The Great Wall of China and the fortifications of Marrakesh are just some ancient records of earthen buildings, which deny the widespread cliché that ascribes the earth architecture to the poorest countries of the planet. These ancient experiences should be the basis for the development of modern architecture: the local tradition can merge with new technical and constructive methods. For the optimal achievement of the new buildings, both the contributions of traditions and the new technologies are required. Furthermore, raw earth has a huge potential in the field of ecologically sustainable materials, because of remarkable availability, excellent thermal insulation and it is an absolutely non-toxic and transpiring element. Construction methods most commonly used are adobe, a mud brick built with a mixture of earth and straw, and pisè, that is rammed earth compressed layer by layer in a framework of the size of the wall to build. Earthen buildings are often considered a symbol of backwardness and poverty, due to a social prejudice; on the contrary, they could represent a sustainable resource for construction practices in developing countries from an environmental and an economic point of view.