‘The architecture of the future’: mud as a sustainable solution against extreme temperatures | Heat in the Netherlands

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Our forefathers already knew it: clay is the perfect choice if you want to live sustainably and comfortably. A house with mud walls has many advantages. During a heat wave it keeps your house cool and during the winter months it keeps the heat in. In addition, it also has many ecological advantages. Some architects therefore leave modern building methods for what they are and go back to this age-old building material.

The old town of Sana’a in Yemen has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, thanks to its unique mud skyscrapers. The towering structures are made of earth and decorated with unique geometric patterns. The skyline merges with the nearby mountains that have an equivalent color. The buildings are still inhabited today and are therefore an excellent example of how ancient building material can still be attractive.

For Salma Samar Damluji, co-founder of the Daw’an Mud Brick Architecture Foundation in Yemen and author of The architecture of Yemen and its reconstruction, mud houses are the ‘architecture of the future’. In an interview with BBC she tells how we can no longer live in ‘these concrete jungles’. “We have to take into account the environment and biodiversity.”

The old town area of ​​Sana’a, Yemen. © EPA

Sustainable alternative to concrete

The construction sector is responsible for 38 percent of the global CO2emissions. The sector will therefore need to innovate to achieve the global goal of being climate neutral by 2050. According to scientists, the replacement of concrete is crucial, as concrete construction accounts for 7 percent of the global CO2emissions.

According to Damluji, mud is a perfect and sustainable alternative to concrete. Loam is a biological material and therefore contains no harmful substances, its production is energy-poor, the material is endlessly recyclable and building with loam would also require less energy. But perhaps the biggest advantage of loam is that it regulates moisture and heat, which makes for an energy-efficient home.

Read useful tips on vtwonen to live comfortably and sustainably.

Cool in a heat wave

A mud house is therefore not only sustainable, it also reduces energy costs and is ideal for getting through our increasingly hot summers. One of the best qualities of mud buildings is that they are warm in the winter and cool in the summer, architects say. Mud walls have a high thermal mass, meaning they absorb and store heat slowly, making the house less likely to heat up.

Mud walls collect heat from solar radiation during the day and release it at night. The temperature never fluctuates — it’s always at a comfortable level,” said Pamela Jerome, an American architect and president of the Architectural Preservation Studio, which focuses on restoration projects around the world. BBC.

The thirteenth-century Great Mosque of Djenné, located in Mali, is the largest and most famous building made entirely of mud.

The thirteenth-century Great Mosque of Djenné, located in Mali, is the largest and most famous building made entirely of mud. © Atlantide Phototravel/Corbis

Clay buildings are also very sturdy and flexible in extreme weather events, such as heat waves, floods and droughts, which scientists say will become more frequent and severe as temperatures continue to rise. Architecture made of earth can also withstand earthquakes and severe storms, “because the structure can distribute the load over the surface, unlike concrete or cement,” Damluji said.

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