Get ready for Clayfest 2018

Get ready for Clayfest 2018

The renaissance of earth building in the UK reflects not only the beauty and utility of the material but also the pressures of rising building costs and the need for lower energy use and waste in building products.

 

This is Earth Building UK and Ireland, EBUKI’s fourth Clayfest as a way of sharing specialist knowledge and supporting the growing earth building community. This year we are excited to bring four days of expert-led workshops to the beautiful Irish National Heritage Park, in Wexford, Ireland. There will be tours of the best local earth buildings in the Wexford areas and our annual conference in the heritage, new building, science of clay and earth structures and finishes.

 

Workshops
Workshops will be run by international leaders and will cover a wide range of subjects from earth structures to decorative finishes. Techniques included will be cob, adobe, wattle and daub, conservation and clay and fibre structures. There are also workshops on hemp and clay, up-cycling to build complex structures like domes and turf, one of the oldest technologies for building walls and roofs in extreme climates. Clay and fibre and structures will be complimented by master classes in earth plasters to show some of the range of materials and finishes possible.

 

Clay mortars are now recognised to comprise a high percentage of historic and conservation masonry structures. Versatile, locally available, breathable and low emission clay mortars are due a comeback and can be used in anything from self-build to sky scrapers.

 

Clay plasters are increasingly finding their way into art galleries and fast food restaurants. Their excellent abilities to mop up humidity and VOCs make them ideal for the increasingly sealed indoor environments, where we spend perhaps 80% to 90% of our lives. They can also produce stunning effects, beautiful colours, many textures and all from materials either bought in a bag or dug from site.

 

There will be pop-up sessions on science, technology, training and much more. There will be daily shows of a French teaching system showing how earth, air, water and force are able to produce earth structures, from loose grains to solid walls.

 

Symposium and Conference
The conference topic is ‘The Secret Life of Earth’, exploring links between the past and present, between what is known and what ignored. We will hear papers on the emerging science of clay and health and well-being, compared to materials leading to outcomes like the Grenfell disaster. Speakers will range from work in Mexico and the USA to publishing which brings earth to a wider audience.

 

Clayfest 2018 is a fantastic opportunity for anyone in the building and design world to see materials in use, talk to practitioners, researchers, designers and producers and discover a world of building opportunity.
Clayfest workshops run in partnership with Irish National Heritage Park, Wexford Council, The Heritage Council, Failte Ireland, Irelands Ancient East, Visit Wexford and Europe for Culture.

 

 

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