Earth Building Design for Wet Windy Temperate Climates

Earth Building Association of Australia
Earth Building Association of Australia
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Published 2018-11-13
This talk was given at the Earth Building Association Australia Conference 2017. Learn more at www.ebaa.asn.au/.

Wet, cool, humid climates, especially those with wind driven rain, provide many challenges for good earth building design. This talk draws on over 45 years experience in NZ to cover climate and moisture related issues, including durability of earthen materials, humidity control, adverse weathering effects, resilient weather resistant design, and detailing of openings and penetrations.
Standards New Zealand is currently revising the 1998 NZ Earth Building Standards to include provisions for lower density earthen materials, with revised measures to improve thermal, climatic, and structural performance.

Graeme North, Registered Architect, New Zealand
Graeme is a New Zealand architect who has been pivotally involved with the earth and natural building renaissance for over 45 years. Graeme has received various awards and commendations, and chairs EBANZ and the SNZ Committee for Earth Building Standards. He uses a wide range of natural building materials, including earthen walls of virtually all types, earthen floors and plasters, lime plasters, natural timber, and natural fibres such as strawbale, and has designed hundreds of houses that incorporate earthen materials. Now he is helping set up the Yes! In My Front Yard Trust (www.yimfy.org.nz) to foster wider use of appropriate building technology.
All Comments (4)
  • @freshimpactco.8698
    If you have rammed earth done correctly you can soak an earthen brick and can sit in water for 10 years and it won't experience deterioration. I believe all these issues have come about through the lack of knowledge of earthen materials, how the material interacts and behaves and how to prevent issues which can be easily be avoided. For example the wall where there was excessive expansion at the location of the windowsill was most likely caused from an incorrect mix of clay Vs sand. If you don't remain with the margins of 20-30% to 80-70% of clay to sand you will get issues with the walls you build. I think it comes down to smart decisions and consideration.... Great to see it's in discussion and people are meeting up and hearing about these from knowledgeable individuals just like Graeme