Earth as a material
Earth is a material composed of aggregates (gravel, sand, and silt) and a binder (clay). When mixed with water, earth can be applied using various techniques to form building components suitable for every element of a structure: walls, roofs, insulation panels, claddings and finishes, floors, furnishings, etc.
Raw earth, a material abandoned for decades, was for a long time associated with notions of poverty and backwardness.
Today, on the contrary, within a design context that is more conscious and attentive to building sustainability, earth represents an extremely attractive material: it is available on-site practically everywhere, does not require significant energy consumption for processing, is healthy, possesses valuable thermal and acoustic insulation properties, resists electromagnetism, and is completely recyclable.
Throughout the technologically advanced world, earth is a material undergoing a period of rediscovery. In Italy as well, a market is slowly emerging that offers raw earth-based products to the eco-compatible construction sector, ranging from masonry elements to plaster mortars.