SPARC

Society for the Promotion of Art and Culture

Ceramic Houses and Earth Architecture
Saturday, June 19, 2010

Nader Khalili first describes his revolutionary techniques of "earth architecture" in Racing Alone. Here he offers a step-by-step guide to the simple and natural process of using clay-earth to build adobe houses and fire the structures with potters' glaze to create ceramic houses. His techniques, which integrate graphics, sculpture, art, and architecture, are easy to follow and apply. Khalili's techniques can be used successfully by anyone who wants to build an inexpensive, durable, and energy-efficient house that fully expresses the individual's taste and imagination. Whether you want to build one of your own or simply learn more about the process, Ceramic Houses describes both the ancient and modern techniques of building with the elements available to everyone: earth, water, air and fire.

Architect and author Nader Khalili developed the simple breakthrough building technologies known as Superadobe (sandbags and barbed wire) and Ceramic Houses, with the freely available material of earth, for almost thirty years. Inspired by the poetry of the 12th century mystic Rumi, who wrote in his native Persian language, Khalili served as a consultant to the U.N. (UNIDO) and a contributor to NASA, as well as directing the Architectural Research Program (ARP) at SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture).

For his work in Earth and Ceramic Architecture since 1975, he received awards from organizations such as the CCAIA for "Excellence in Technology," the U.N. and HUD for "Shelter for the Homeless," the ASCE (Aerospace Division) for his work in lunar base building technology, and most recently the Aga Khan award for architecture for "Sandbag Shelter Prototypes".

Through his work, Nader Khalili has inspired a global movement and left a rich body of philosophy, design and innovative construction technology. His work is continued at Cal-Earth Institute, as the basis for its research and educational mission.

Labels: Appropriate Technology, Books, Mud Architecture