Rethinking materials: Workshop “Earth Building in Practice”

Workshop “Earth Building in Practice”, 8–12 September 2025, Empa Dübendorf & ETH Zurich

From 8–12 September 2025, the workshop Earth Building in Practice took place at the Empa Campus in Dübendorf and at ETH Zurich – a successful week that brought together theory, practice, and research. Participants not only worked hands-on but also engaged in lively discussions, from practical details to fundamental questions about building with earth and wood. Throughout the week, students, researchers, and practitioners collaborated on clay façade elements, applying techniques from rammed earth and adobe brick production to digitally fabricated components at the Robotic Fabrication Lab (RFL).

The workshop combined theory, research, and craftsmanship, exploring how earth and wood could evolve from niche materials to standard elements in sustainable construction.

Key takeaways:

Systemic Change
Earth and wood are climate-friendly alternatives. To move them from niche to norm, we need new supply chains, standards, and design approaches. Hybrid is the answer: use wood only where it is structurally necessary.

Materiality
Precise material properties build trust and enable regulation. Yet too much standardisation risks displacing local practices and driving up costs. The goal: balancing predictability with flexibility.

Culture
Perception is as important as technology. Education, design, and storytelling can shift how we think about earth and wood – as much as new regulations can.

The workshop is part of the Innosuisse Flagship project “Think Earth” | Integration and Case Studies, organised by FANGAN Architects in collaboration with ETH Zurich and Empa Dübendorf.

For more information about the workshop, see IDA – Integrated Design Atlas.