Course detail

Earthen Architecture

FA-HLS-KEAcad. year: 2025/2026

The course acquaints students with the issue of using earthen building material for load-bearing and non-load-bearing structures in historical and modern buildings. The course includes information about the earthen buildings development, properties, raw material sources and forms of use. An important part is also the ecological assessment of earth in terms of recycling, carbon footprint and the possibility of reconstruction or remediation. Teaching is divided into theoretical and practical part. An integral part of teaching is excursion (field trip), practical classes in the laboratory and field training.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Zdeněk Vejpustek, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Engineering (US)

Offered to foreign students

The home faculty only

Entry knowledge

Not applicable.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Credit test, elaboration of seminar work and work with earthen building material during field training is evaluated. Seminar work consist 50% of whole evaluation, credit test 30% and work with clay building materials during field training 20%. The deadlines for submission and elaboration of the test are determined by the teacher in the form of a written assignment at the beginning of the semester and are binding.
Student must attend 50% of lectures, 100% of practical class in the laboratory and 60% of field training. During the semester, student continuously completes at least 3 consultations of the seminar work. Missed participation in practical teaching in the laboratory and teaching in the field cannot be replaced, but it can be excused for serious reasons. Replacement of compulsory attendance at lectures is solved individually by prior agreement with the lecturer.

Aims

The aim of the course is theoretical and practical understanding of the specifics of earthen building materials. This includes knowledge about significant buildings, understanding of the properties of earthen building material and forms of its use in load-bearing and non-load bearing parts of buildings. The aim is to demonstrate the effective earthen buildings and also draw attention to the mistakes to avoid. The aim is also to stimulate creative and critical thinking during physical contact with the earthen building material within the practical part of the course.
- Student get an overview of significant earthen buildings in CR and abroad, their age and location.
- Student will understand the specifics of earthen building material (properties and their optimal use in buildings).
- Student will be able to identify suitable earth for construction purposes based on their characteristics and performance of simple field tests.
- Student will be able to distinguish basic earthen structures and surfaces, including their regional and structural specifics.
- Student will be able to choose the optimal approach in the context of rebuilding and reconstruction of earthen buildings including ways of recycling construction materials.
- Student learn basic practical procedures for processing earthen building material including basic craft skills.
- Student will be able to formulate the advantages and procedure how to eliminate the disadvantages of earthen building material to meet the requirements of building industry in the present and future.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

ACT ECO learning platform. Earth Building Techniques (online). URL: http://acteco.eu/?catid=41 (EN)
MINKE, Gernot. Building with Earth. Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2006. ISBN 978-3-7643-7477-8. (EN)
MINKE, Gernot. Earth Construction Handbook. The Building Material Earth in Modern Architecture. Michigan: WIT Press, 2000. ISBN 9781853128059. (EN)
Rammed Earth Consulting CIC. UK guideline Appendix A, B, C (online). URL: http://rammedearthconsulting.com/rammed-earth-library.htm (EN)
SCHROEDER, Horst. Lehmbau. Mit Lehm ökologisch planen und bauen. Zurich: Springer Vieweg, 2019. ISBN 978-3-658-23120-0. (EN)
SCHROEDER, Horst. Sustainable Building with Earth. Zurich: Springer. 2016. ISBN 978-3319194905. (EN)