OVER ONE THIRD OF THE WORLDS POPULATION….
APPROXIMATELY 3 BILLION PEOPLE ON SIX CONTINENTS….
LIVES OR WORKS IN BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED OF EARTH.
Established in 1994, EARTHA was formed with the aim of fostering the cause of clay building in East Anglia. Within the region, there are thousands of examples of clay built structures, whether that of domestic dwellings or civic buildings. These heritage buildings are mostly examples of the Wattle and Daub technique, and Clay Lump.
Due to the unique qualities of clay, along with many other natural building materials, these historic buildings still stand strong. We therefore think it is necessary to promote and conserve these structures the best we can for future reference.
An example of wattle and daub. Replacing the split hazel (wattle), and using clay render (daub) to patch in. The old daub can be recycled and re-used.
We would like to preserve examples of these building techniques for years to come, to highlight the many beneficial properties of living in and building with clay, along with many other earth build materials.
By looking at the historical uses of clay technology, for which examples go back thousands of years, we want to embrace the future of clay in construction, so to provide a more sustainable, low impact and healthier means of development today.
Meet our EARTHA Network
EARTHA is a platform for individuals and companies to express their interest in all things earth building, and to help to share knowledge and information within the earth-building community.
We are here to help connect people and businesses with earth-based construction and conservation services within East Anglia.
As a Community, EARTHA hopes to continue to keep alive earth building practices akin to East Anglia, and to so many properties that exist within the region.
Workshops
Demonstrations, hands on workshops, and on-site training sessions are held during the warmer months at various locations throughout the East Anglian region. These cover the two principal forms of clay construction of Wattle and Daub, and Clay Lump.
Above is a wattle and daub workshop that took place at Shotesham, just outside Norwich, Norfolk. This was part of a full day event, ‘Unfired Clay Day’, which you can find more about in our News / Events page.
Conferences
We also hold Conferences through the year, our most recent, ‘The Future is Earth’, was a full day event, held at The Gamekeeper, Old Buckenham, Norfolk. Guest speakers, Anthony Hudson (Hudson Architects), gave a brilliant and insightful presentation on the domestic CobBauge House in Fakenham, and Will Stanwix (The Hemp Block Company), discussed with us his personal and professional progression, development and testing of natural, sustainable building materials.
Membership
Become an EARTHA Member for just £25 a year, and benefit from exclusive Member’s content. Presentations from ‘The Future is Earth’ Conference are available, including our Guest Speaker Anthony Hudson’s presentation of the CobBauge House, as well as EARTHA Committee Member, Michael Knights’ presentation on the application of tar to buildings.
Scroll down for more Information on this Conference, Our Online Service Directory, and how to become an EARTHA Member.
Building a New Earth Construction
At EARTHA, we have knowledgeable and experienced Committee Members, who may be able to give guidance on issues concerning new earth build properties, and in particular with clay. We hold events concerning new build constructions, and many of our members hold an interest or profession in creating sustainable and energy efficient properties themselves.
Building for the Future
With so many concerns regarding the impact we have on our environment and our health, incorporating a material such as clay into our construction methods would only have positive outcomes in helping to create a sustainable built environment. Learn more from our EARTHA community about the ways in which natural building materials can support a more beneficial future for the construction industry as a whole.
Repairing an Existing Clay Property
Do you own a property that consists of Wattle and Daub or Clay Lump construction, and in need of technical advice. Would you like to attend workshops and conferences that allow you to see firsthand, the means and methods of these long established building practices, to repair your own property. Becoming an EARTHA Member opens up a whole community of people and businesses who share similar interests in the repair and reuse of clay architecture within East Anglia.
Heritage Architecture in East Anglia
Would you like to know more about the heritage building within the region, and why they have been an important and influential attribute to East Anglia’s built environment. Find out how and why these historical buildings have survived through the years, and discover the many benefits of using clay as a building material.
This is a great opportunity for our members to meet and mingle, but to also have their say in how EARTHA as an organisation can develop over the coming year. We are really keen to make sure the organisation remains an integral part of the earth building services within East Anglia, and are keen to hear your thoughts going forward.
Following our meeting, we will be delighted to host our keynote speaker, George Evennett, Director of Architectural Practice, George Evennett Ltd. George has travelled extensively in Colombia, and would like to share his presentation, “Earth Building and Traditional Construction in Colombia”. A precis of his presentation will become available in the coming weeks.
George is an EARTHA Member of numerous years, and is currently collaborating with Director of MSC Naturally, and EARTHA Chair, Malcolm Carrington, on a project in Cambridgeshire using the earth build material, BETTABLOK. We will be arranging a visit to this site build late spring, where you will be able to learn of the many benefits of this new sustainable interlocking earth block. More information will be available at the AGM.
The AGM and presentation are free for EARTHA Members. Feel free to join us as an EARTHA Member and attend. A yearly membership is £25. A registration form, and directions on payment, can be found HERE. One-off event tickets are £10.
The Future is Earth Conference: 28th November 2024
Marking our 30th Anniversary, we held our first EARTHA Conference after a period of time, held at The Gamekeeper at Old Buckenham, Norfolk. This all day event welcomed talks from a whole host of guest speakers, drawing conversation from both new and old earth build enthusiasts. To all that attended, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did hosting!
Keep an eye on EARTHA News, for more events and workshops to come.
EARTHA Membership is just £25 a year, and will allow you first pick of tickets to all of our events, training and workshops. Members also get concession tickets to any of our events, so do sign up, and become part of our Member’s Mailing List for more information.
MSC Naturally awarded 'Most Innovative Sustainable Manufacturer 2025' - UK for BETTABLOK
Our very own EARTHA chair, an original member of the organisation, and Owner and Director of MSC Naturally, Malcolm Carrington, will be heading to FUTURE BUILD 4-6th March 2025, exhibiting his earth build material, BETTABLOK.
BETTABLOK is a sustainable building material of an unfired clay, chalk, lime, sand and straw mix, designed to be quickly installed, with zero production waste, 100% fully recyclable and miniumum energy input.
Become a Member
As EARTHA celebrates it’s 30th Anniversary, we would welcome you to consider becoming part of our organisation, and be able to take advantage of the many benefits of EARTHA’s Membership such as:
- Networking access with individuals and businesses within earth building.
- Concessions for workshops and conferences.
- Knowledge from specialist committees in Conservation and New Earth Builds.
- Become part of the EARTHA mailing list, allowing you to keep up with relevant earth build information and events within the region.
- Advertising space for your trade, services or profession.
- Have a say at our AGM, and maybe become part of the EARTHA Committee.
- Access the Member’s Area, which will be updated regularly and may include: Technical Advice Sheets, Member’s Blog, Frequently asked Questions, Event News and more.
A yearly Membership subscription is just £25 per person, and allows for you to make the most out of the EARTHA network and all of our events.
Please click the link below to become an EARTHA Member. Instructions on how to make payment of your membership by bank transfer will be available after you register, and will also be sent via email (you may need to check your spam/junk folder for this correspondence). Your User profile on our website will then be activated. While we aim to be speedy on this process, membership is manually reviewed, so please allow for a few days in response.
If you have any enquiries regarding EARTHA Membership, please feel free to email: contact@eartha.org.uk
Member's Service Directory
The Service Directory can be used for reference, if you are in need of help regarding a particular earth build service or trade. If you are unable to find the right information, we may be able to connect you with an appropriate service through our network of members.
If you are a business that would like to join our network, please consider a yearly subscription starting from £25, and your company will then be added to our directory of earth-build services.
For more information, please click the link to our Service Directory page, or email: contact@eartha.org.uk
Earth Buildings
Earth buildings can take many forms and adopt many techniques some of which are illustrated below.
New Build in Traditional Cob Devon
Cob Chapel Conversion near Wroxham
Rammed Earth Used To Contruct New House - Blakeney, Norfolk
Earth Block Compression Testing
Community building in Earth Block - S. Buckinghamshire
