A new and exciting business has recently emerged in San Luis Obispo County and is already creating a whirlwind of interest that extends to the far corners of the globe. Earth Architecture has opened its doors in Los Osos and is now offering sustainable design, construction and educational services to local patrons but this business is about something much bigger than just building houses... its about intelligent design solutions and our need to create beautiful, efficient housing.

"There is a rising global interest to use our resources in a way that benefits the whole of humanity," said Isaac Horton who founded Earth Architecture. "I believe that building with earth is something that makes sense to a lot of people but I must admit, I was surprised to discover that we were receiving international attention within only a few weeks of posting our web site. People are translating earth-architecture.com into multiple languages. We are getting hits from around the world, places like India, Peru, Spain, Philippines, Germany, Poland, Finland, Pakistan, Morocco, Italy and New Zealand just to name a few. In fact, only 50% of our web traffic is from the United States" explained Horton. "The rest is international."

People from around the world are interested in earth building because the technology is comparably efficient especially in countries with emergency housing needs due to environmental disasters. Catholic Relief Services purchased 60 earth brick manufacturing presses after the devastating earthquake in Gujarat, India in 2001. In a year's time they had built 2,698 houses to aid in the rehabilitation of the area. "We also purchased one of these presses so we could benefit from the research accomplished by Auroville, a spiritual community located in India who has innovated the previous technology called CinvaRam." Horton said it was difficult to import the machine and the process took about 8 months to get the device. "It was worth it though and we're excited to use the technology on a local level."

Vice president of the PATIWUARE Foundation in Pakistan Mohummad Omar Masood signed up to receive more information from Earth Architecture through the web site. "He is an example of someone interested in the information we are currently compiling. One of our goals is to help develop earth construction systems that can be implemented with a minimum of machinery and we will be publishing this information as reports that can be distributed by organizations like UN-Habitat or downloadable pdf's available on earth-architecture.com, freely available to anyone with access to the internet. People like Mr. Masood are already interested because of the how-to article posted in March about an emerging technique we have innovated called Earthcrete."

Isaac says that he considers himself an environmentalist although some may argue since his primary business is architectural development and he advocates the beneficial use of portland cement. "To be a conscious developer is to understand the needs of a growing population and to use our resources to the best of our ability. The beauty of building with earth is two-fold. It's efficient and it feels good." Horton claims that because earth walls need to be thicker than other construction methods, they have a sense of mass that is engaging and monolithic. "We use portland cement as a binder with the earth to hold the walls together and we feel that even though the cement uses a good deal of energy to produce, it is an amazing type of technology that was invented by the Romans and with it we are actually turning the earth into stone. With the addition of cement we can build walls that last for hundreds, even thousands of years. All building technologies use energy and we feel that by minimizing the amount of cement used, we can create quality end results that far exceed the expectations of our customers and is still considered sustainable."

Earth walls provide thermal mass, slowing heat transfer from exterior to interior spaces during the day and from interior to exterior spaces at night. This slowing down of heat exchange is known as the “thermal flywheel effect” and it is one of the primary benefits of living in an earth house. Depending on the location, Earth Architecture may recommend the addition of insulation in the core of the wall. This technique is known as SIREWALL and results in a building that stays warm regardless of outside temperature.

Historically, earth construction has been used to create some of the greatest works of mankind. The Great Wall of China for example is largely made of earth. The world's oldest earthen building still standing is about 3,300 years old. The Ramasseum, made of adobes, was built around 1,300 BC in the old city of Thebes. It can still be visited on the shore of the Nile, opposite Luxor.

Earth Architecture is dedicated to renewing an interest in earth construction and they are currently targeting government agencies for public works projects and large commercial applications such as warehouse space and processing plants built of rammed earth. "We work with everyone. But we target large public spaces and commercial uses because that is where long-term value is created. We can build anything large or small, but personally I like the big stuff because it really shows off the possibility of how this material can be used to create great space." Locals can also benefit from the informative workshops available which are listed on the web site.

Isaac is also working on publishing a book entitled, "Earth Temples", and hopes to have the book completed by the end of the year. "I'm talking with publishers now and I'm hoping to have it ready for sale in 2009." Temple design is one aspect of earth construction that really inspires Isaac. He makes time in-between his other projects to visit temples and take pictures for the book. "I feel something inside temples that is different from other types of spaces. It's like I can feel the passion of the architect who envisioned the space. I want to share that feeling with others!"

Earth Architecture is located in Los Osos, California. Anyone looking for earth design and construction services can contact Earth Architecture by visiting their web site at www.earth-architecture.com or by calling (805) 534-1676.