Earth has been a material implemented in architecture since the dawn of humanity. It could be said to be one of the materials used for the construction of early buildings, along with stone and other local materials. However, with the Industrial Revolution, technological development propelled the advancement of new construction materials with novel properties and manufacturing methods. The consequence has been the sidelining of materials like earth, underestimated due to technological advancements, and newer materials such as concrete, foams, and steel, among others, to the sidelines.
Anna Heringer, a German architect raised in Laufen (Switzerland), experienced at an early age a volunteer program focused on rural development in the village of Dipshika in Bangladesh, which completely shaped her life. In the mid-1990s, the NGO that hosted her volunteer work promoted the implementation of sustainable strategies to reduce dependencies on external factors and thus strengthen practices recognizing the potential of local resources to make the most of them. Based on this premise, Anna Heringer shaped her mindset to subsequently apply it in her career as an architect.
The potential of local resources
Building upon the fundamental principle of sustainability, which entails utilizing current resources without compromising those of future generations, Heringer embarked on her architecture thesis project by designing and constructing a school in the village of Rudrapur, Bangladesh. During the development of her project, she relied on the use of local materials, community participation, and preventive strategies. Initially, the primary materials chosen were mud, earth, and bamboo. The accessibility of these materials is high, as they can be sourced in the village and its surroundings in the quantities required for the project. Mud was utilized for the school’s masonry, while bamboo was repurposed for the roof structure, staircase, and classroom windows.
The energy requirement is minimal and is compensated for by the community itself. The collective participation of the village residents enhances the sustainability of the project in economic and social terms. This is because the significance of the building results from the contributions of all participants and, in turn, represents the materialization of collective efforts towards the social development of Rudrapur village. For Heringer, the consideration of the community in the construction of social projects is crucial because, in addition to promoting collective values such as a sense of belonging, it also contributes to the strengthening of local economic dynamics, where the project’s funds are received by the community itself.
Furthermore, Anna considered three preventive strategies to preserve the architectural project over time: the use of cement in the foundation, ensuring the safety of the lightweight roof, and controlling erosion through the mixture of mud and straw. In this way, Anna ensures the durability of the building from the design phase through conscious material selection. The architect recognizes the potential of the material even in maintenance, as the malleability of mud allows for touching up deteriorated finishes such as the edges of the building with the initial resource. Despite being her first project on a social scale, the METI School project stands as Anna’s legacy in architecture. It demonstrates the clarity of her vision as an architecture student and lays the groundwork for projecting conscientious architecture designed for the environment, people, and the planet.
Essential beauty: Design by Anna Heringer
Anna’s discourse focuses on harnessing local materials and engaging communities in construction processes. However, the greatness of her work lies in her ability to transform the conception of a material associated with dirt and poverty into an architectural project that is austere yet purposeful, addressing the needs of the end user. As Luis Fernández-Galiano, curator of the ICO Museum in Madrid, remarked, Anna has specialized in raw materials to the point where she enhances their use in unconventional yet aesthetic construction applications, achieving essential beauty.
Furthermore, the impact of her social projects not only stems from the materials and the community but also from the multipurpose architectural programs designed to offer flexibility for various activities. In the case of the METI School, Anna equips the classrooms with large openings and bamboo windows for natural ventilation and lighting, while adding colors through textiles inside the roof to reflect light and maximize illumination. Another recurring element in Anna’s architecture is the earth caves. The format of these spaces is organic, with curved surfaces generated by earth shaping. Moreover, they are multipurpose, and intended for rest, play, reading, meditation, and work, among others.
From mud caves to lightweight bamboo structures, Anna pushes creativity to aesthetically well-resolved design through materials technology, aligned with her architecture principles in the Longquan Hostels project in Baoxi, China. The main allure lies in creating an atmosphere of transition between the exterior and interior of the project to establish a connection with nature. At the heart of the exterior structure stands the building constructed with stone and rammed earth. Anna’s main reflection in this project is the planet’s urgent need to decelerate the use of cement in construction, both in China and around the world.
Heringer has also brought her philosophy to interior design projects where the constructive application of raw materials is simple yet creates contrasts. An example she often highlights is the rammed earth wall in her own home, which serves not only as a connection to nature but also as a natural humidifier for the house.
Reflections from Anna
To conclude, Anna, along with friends and colleagues, summarized the ideals of architecture in the Laufen manifesto, where collaboration eye to eye, identification with the locals, understanding of the territory, and education of designers are essential. Despite Anna’s journey in architecture, she remains aware that the solution to achieving significant changes lies in continuing to sow doubts to promote reflections on the impact of daily decisions, especially in the field of construction. Just as architecture is a tool for improving lives, according to Heringer, it is also a double-edged sword for destroying the planet. Simply by ignoring the life cycle, energy demand, properties, and potentials of materials. Such ignorance limits creative and adaptive construction applications to different environments.
References
TED TALK (2017). The warmth and wisdom of mud buildings: Anna Heringer [online]. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/anna_heringer_the_warmth_and_wisdom_of_mud_buildings?language=en&subtitle=en [Accessed 25 March 2024].
Museo ICO (2022). “Anna Heringer. La belleza esencial” en el Museo ICO. Available at: https://youtu.be/qg5LpPsSPSs?si=VmCM2bCxeyJAL0Cj [Accessed 25 March 2024].
Anna Heringer (2020). Anna Heringer architecture. Available at: https://www.anna-heringer.com/vision/ [Accessed 25 March 2024].
