Earth wall : a change of materiality to awake senses

Abstract

Earth buildings are often reported to bring great benefits in terms of comfort and quality of life for their inhabitants. However, raw earth’s contribution is not purely technical. Investigating the sensory domain in the design of inhabited space is essential, as it takes into account the experiences and responses of people who will build and use the buildings. In order to treat the issues connected with both technical and sense-related factors, this study will take an approach based on architectural ambiances. This paper will question the specificities of atmospheres designed and built with raw earth to get answers to see if the presence of raw earth could change the ambiance perception of a place. If a change can happen, how is it highlighted? Which factors are involved? How important are perceptual factors with respect to physical values? Could people's perception be affected by getting involved and participating in the construction process? To get answers to these questions, two experiments were conducted. The first one took place in Barcelona, where the composition of a wall inside a university’s office was modified. More specifically, an earth plaster was applied to one of the four walls of the office. The second experiment was carried out in Grenoble, where one of the walls of a break-room was covered with earth bricks. The results of both experiments showed that the sensorial attributes of raw earth seem to reinforce the creation of more pleasant and soothing atmospheres by raw-earth spaces.