Over 3 billion people live or work in buildings made of earth.

Urban Earth Building

 Just because you live in the city, does not mean you can't build and live with earth.  In fact, it is in urban environments that the need for earth building is the greatest. Earthen building materials are green, are innately grounding, reduce noise and help control atmospheric moisture/temperature. You can build with earth almost anywhere and practically over any surface, transforming your environment into a hand-sculpted work of art.

 

Earthen Remodeling

Earthen remodeling is one of the easiest ways to bring earth into you living space. With the green building boom, earthen plasters have become increasingly more and more popular but why stop there. Although we do apply earthen plasters, we are prepared to take it even further than simply changing the color of your walls. Using a few simple earth building techniques,we can literally re-sculpt any space. Imagine turning a square room round, sculpting murals directly on the walls, covering up boring brick fireplace mantels, arching door jams, adding niches, hidden nooks, built in shelves or benches and much, much more. The Creative potential is endless!

Earthen Environments 

We often have unused living space around us and in urban environments, there is not always room to spare. Imagine taking that unused space and transforming it into a fun and unique environment that adds function as well as beauty. Earthen environments are great additions to any space and can add new vitality to any room, garden or patio. Let us show you how to redefine your environment with earthen walls, benches, ovens and sculpture.

Cob Parties

Want to get an earth building project started but don't know where to begin? Then you need to throw a cob party! Invite a group of friends over for a private workshop and learn all about cob building in a casual and fun atmosphere. For every party, Urban Earth Solutions will help you design and organize a custom cob building project, as well as, provide hands on instruction through out the event. All you need to do is invite some friends and be ready to get a little dirty. A great idea for any green DIY enthusiast, we will show you a fun and affordable way to build with earth. Some of the cob parties may included earth ovens, garden walls, benches, earthen plasters, sculptures and even cob cottages.

 

Earth Building Terms

Earthen Plasters

Traditionally used to cover earthen or straw bale walls, earthen plasters have become

a popular alternative to conventional paints. Besides having a soft, velvety appearance, earthen plasters can reduce noise and control atmospheric moisture. There are many types of earthen plasters, all having distinct looks. The plasters are basically composed of clay and sand but some recipes call for binders like wheat paste or fillers like marble dust, mica or chopped straw.  Some earthen plasters are thick and can be sculpted while other are very thin, which is great for smooth, polished finishes.With proper preparation,earthen plasters can be applied over any pre-existing surface, making them a quick and beautiful way to bring earth into you home.

Cob

 An old english word for lump or mass, Cob is a earthen mixture of clay subsoil, sand and straw. Traditionally used to for home construction, cob is an extremely strong and durable building material. Made out of clay rich subsoil, cob is very malleable and can be formed into any shape imagined. This allows you to create hand-sculpted, walls, benches, ovens, fireplaces, etc. Being a non-toxic, all natural and sustainable material, cob promotes green building practices.

Sculptural Adobe

Sculptural adobe A.K.A. sculpture cob, is halfway between cob and a thick earthen plaster. Sculptural adobe can be applied to almost any surface, making it ideal for sculpting over armatures or directly onto walls. This allows you to transform any pre-existing wall or object into a personalized, work of art. Since the adobe mix does not need to be fired, you don’t need a kiln, making it an eco-friendly alternative to conventional ceramic sculpture.

Clay Paints

Clay paint is made primarily of clay, a little filler and wheat paste. Simple to make and even easier to use, this non-toxic paint is an ideal finish coat for earthen surfaces. In my option a clay paint finish is much more durable and easier to repair than earthen plasters alone. Using an earth based color pallet, clay paints are visually softer than conventional paint and will not fade when exposed to sunlight. You can also achieve a model look to the wall when you use a sponge and/or blend several colors together.

Earth Bag and Rammed Earth

Earth bag and rammed earth are both building techniques where a mixture of earth is compressed or "rammed" to make a solid, structural mass. Similar to sand bagging, earth bags are sand bags filled with earth and them compressed to make walls. Once built, the exposed bags are plastered to make a finished wall. Traditional rammed earth on the other hand does not use bags but is a mixture of earth rammed in between wooden forms. Once filled and compressed, the wooden forms are removed, leaving a finished wall which may or may not be plastered. Rammed earth is one of the oldest earth building techniques and is still used today.

Urban Earth Solutions
Brian Baker • 530-848-8088
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