The new frontier for sustainable building, in the small towns of Sardinia, goes through raw earth. That is, houses built with bricks made from straw and mud and then dried in the sun without going through the kiln. An ancient tradition, especially widespread in Campidano and Medio Campidano, which is now being rediscovered, also in light of the need to combine sustainability and comfort, with houses that are cool in summer and warm in winter.
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The rediscovery in the last 10 years
“In the last 10 years this material, especially present in Campidano, is being rediscovered – says Sara Collu, an architect with studies precisely on the subject -, it is no coincidence that other technicians and colleagues, when working in the field of recovery and renovation, pay attention to this type of technique which is also gaining ground in several European countries.” That is, houses where the building materials are mainly ladiri (raw earth bricks made by mixing mud and straw and then letting them dry) and wood.
A little industrial process
“Raw earth houses come from a process that is little industrial and has few pollutants, but is highly competitive – adds the architect who is the author of the book Ladiri (published in Italian and English) – because it is highly performing thermally.” The presence and thickness of the raw earth bricks favor the process that makes houses cool in summer and warmer in winter.
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A sustainable choice
There is also another aspect, which concerns sustainability. “In the production of a raw earth brick – she adds again – the combustion process does not occur. The brick does not go into the kiln like for fired bricks, but is left to dry in the sun.” And then the issue of circularity. “Ladiri bricks can be recycled 100% – she argues -. It happened during the renovation of a building to reuse the mud from a wall to make new bricks with that earth. This is a very important step in terms of circular and environmental economy.”
Safety issue
Then there is the issue of safety and stability. “There are ladiri houses that are even 200 years old – she continues -, the strength of the ladiri brick lies in its compactness and cohesion. Then everything always depends on how maintenance and care are done. Certainly, if a building is abandoned and the roof is not checked, it is clear that problems can arise. But this also happens with other construction techniques.” The rediscovery of this technique has also seen the birth of small companies that have started producing raw earth bricks. “Some are present in Sardinia – she adds again -, some others in the Peninsula where, however, clay and a different technique are used.”
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