Guest Blog: Rebearth

I’m still buzzing from teaching at last week’s Earth and Fibre workshop @Terre, Femmes et Savoir-faire, a 5 year project celebrating the work of craftswomen in natural building. I was meant to teach at this 2 years ago, but Covid and other obstacles meant I never got there. In the end, a couple more years of experience, confidence building, and ideas meant the wait was a good thing.

For a while I have been exploring, through art and building, ideas about the continuum of earth [see Becky’s own blog for more on this]. This training course, in the vast space that is the home of Amaco, was an attempt to put into physical form the idea that earth methods are not easily defined and that in reality it is often much more about composites, hybrids and unexplored ideas that don’t fit into neat categories. Then, behind this physical and artistic process, there are some huge themes and metaphors around language, identity and place, using earth and plants to reconnect, regenerate, and reimagine our relationship with the natural world and each other. Whilst the Jump! Project drew me to training, building, and making holistically, Amaco helped me create a process of this holistic practice that flowed.

My idea was to create a continuum of earth techniques in physical form, exploring typologies and technologies as fluid, flowing and integrated, creating space for composites, hybrids and unexplored ideas that don’t fit into neat categories. For me the edge or hinterland in most things is where exciting and innovating stuff takes shape.

“My idea was to create a continuum of Earth techniques in physical form. Amaco helped me create a process for this holistic practice that flowed.”

Our first day covered the fundamentals and principles of working with earth – how to source, mix and manipulate wet clay rich materials with dry fibrous ones, selecting and adapting using diverse soils, plants, green wood, hands, feet and simple tools. Understanding the science and physics of earth building through a series of experiments and then tapping into instinct and intuition to create something responsive and timeless over the following three days; a large single structure that was part building and part sculpture.

DAY ONE 

The first day was all about exploring soils and fibre.

INTRODUCTIONS meant us and them became WE

In a circle, we welcomed the expertise and wisdom in the room, sharing names, places, experiences, interests, hopes, and fears.

We all held a piece of clay . 

USING THE SENSES 

We looked at Earth and water interactions using the Cone Test. We then used sensory soil tests, simply looking, smelling, touching, listening, and tasting. An introduction to sensory fibre was then given. 

USING SCIENCE 

Further soil tests were done using more scientific methods: shrinkage, biscuits, balls, cigars, sedimentation (jar), lab tests. We then made Carazas cubes using Earth and fibre (Hemp and straw). 

USING CREATIVITY 

A team challenge was set to create bridges and towers in groups of 3 to 4 strangers. The limitations of using Earth, fibre and tools were discussed and the topic of intuitive making was shared. 

ELEMENTERRE 

13 Experiments were discussed to explain ‘How Earth Buildings Work’, once everyone had some experience with the materials.

DAY TWO

On Day 2 we did teaching on 4 techniques (Cob, adobe, daub and light earth) but I was keen from the start to illustrate connections and comparisons between methods. I must confess I was worried it would confuse folk but this was a group of pretty advanced professionals with some earth experience and they were very receptive to a more nuanced approach. Days 3 and 4 were all about making and growing the structure together. My plan was to follow a mobius strip form which i laid out with bricks on the ground, then let the detail emerge with the group’s creativity, skills and intuition. I explained that methods would follow the form but transform from one to another with no breaks…..so dry moulded adobe becomes hand-shaped adobe…... wet adobe….. cob in shutters…...cob free-form…...with stones (clay and bool)…….with openings…….onto sticks,,,,,,,,then daub….merged into light earth……..and so on. Playing with transitions between wet and dry, plastic and viscous, light and heavy, rough and smooth. This is all excellent learning for designing and repairing buildings because these transitions are often part of the job. And working on the spaces in between we realise there are exciting new approaches and combinations that may have a place in our work. 

I think working in Scotland, from a place of virtually no living earth tradition and a diverse range of techniques (rooted in geology, soils, cultures, climates etc), has given me great freedom to explore things differently, to question the status quo. There is a whole other story here about the role of women in construction (and the role of others who are marginalised or dispossessed) and our role in life to do things “otherwise”. I’ll save that chat for another day…..

Finally, having made a beautiful structure together, where we danced and sculpted, debated and discussed, about machines and bodies, patriarchy and colonialism (and lots more meaty stuff), we imagined and engaged with something very wholesome and real and reached a deeper awareness about ourselves in the process, ………. - “we shape the earth and the earth shapes us” (thanks Sourabh Phadke). 

I hope that explains a bit of what I’ve been doing. It’s thanks to a lot of inspiration and wisdom from the EBUKI team, and support and encouragement to get out there and make it happen.

Read more on Becky’s own Blog, such as: The Continuum of Earth, exploring the spaces in between.