The Architects Designing Future Cities With Mud
West African architects are reviving ancient building methods that make it easier to stay cool as temperatures climb.
#cop27 #construction #africa
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A lot of the newer modern buildings in Africa look boring. I always appreciated many of its ancient traditional architecture
Both looks are pretty nice and a lot of the new houses are built with burnt bricks as well.
We need this innovation in all west Africa.. the buildings are hot during day and night
Whenever I see people commenting, ‘Oh, this won’t work in other places ‘ or ‘We doubt the structural strength while working with these materials’, I would like to add to it with some thoughts, Yes, one technique can’t serve worldwide that is why we look for contextual solutions, studying and experimenting with reinforcements and integration of different techniques & technologies make these solutions viable. Secondly, as much viable is concrete, it has its own drawbacks which are on rise currently and thus we need to look for more sustainable solutions, anyone interested, kindly look up for solutions already integrated in many metro cities across the world or go back in history of ekistics as well. Had we used our natural resources rationally, we would be facing lesser of such issues but we still have time so what goes in actually trying and making small difference with each solution.
"Countries with limited natural resources," she must have been thinking of European nations like France.
I wondered just what she meant. !!!😮
Maybe trees?
As an architect, I can't agree more. However, I don't think mud is the best solution (but i know that is my opinion). I believe rammed earth is better for all sorts of reasons - thermal properties being top among them. I also believe the visuals and options are superior, and you can more easily mix hybrid building elements for spaces and objects you need alternatives for. The connection options for rammed earth is superior if you must use other materials.
I agree. You can already see pock marks where the mud is eroding from wind/water. A little cement mixed in goes a long way!
Mali Empire engineers used fired mud bricks with gravel mixed in. Mud bricks can be just as sturdy as rammed earth if fired and mixed properly.
@@oluwaremilekunbell6159 Just as "sturdy" as what? I don't think any brick-based option is as "sturdy" as rammed earth...which is more homogenous.
Fixed my OC
@@oluwaremilekunbell6159 isn't that just normal bricks
As a engineer, the issue of using local dirt is that it will be a nightmare to do strength calculations as it is it can be various a lot based on what they have or manufacture techniques. Concrete on the other hand is very well studied and mostly consistent.
As an architect with an emphasis in structural engineer, I can attest that for many local applications, especially in emergencies, filling long tubes with mud or rubble then laying barbed wire or the like on top of each coil wound in an igloo shape, mud is entirely acceptable. The same with dried mud bricks of a certain shape and to a given height . Concrete is far more expensive, requires more skilled labor, requires more strength to build, requires more precision in mixing and placing, and so on.
Sounds like they are actively working on that particular challenge according to the video.
But it takes vast amounts of energy to manufacture, so its future is in jeopardy. Find another way is the message!!
not big deal for 1-3 story buildings, right?
Sounds like someone is afraid of a challenge...
Whoever scores the music to these videos need a raise 👏🏾
Labor intensive methods in a country that offers little job opportunities? Doesn't sound like a problem, but I guess the pay and social standing of masonry/metal working doesn't really make the job appealing. I have to admit, they really did an awesome job on the buildings shown, smooth design, and I can't find any flaw on the execution.
I think its sad that after WW2 every nation on Erath adopted the same Capitalist Architecture and lost there beautiful cultural cities. America had gorgeous cities then the car industry destroyed them and built highways.
In all fairness, how much does building small homes in Burkina Faso contribute to global CO2 emissions? Using local materials in a reliable fashion could change the face of megaprojects while making a real impact on global emissions. Until that is possible, I hope we are not hindering the progress of developing countries by putting on them the onus of solving a global crisis caused by developed countries.
@McAtlas Exactly! This is not going to help fix climate change.
@McAtlas Yes, that's the only way. Anything else would be ineffective.
Sure. The world is pressuring poor countries that have negligible carbon emissions
It is much easier to deny people something than to take it from them later. When trying to solve an impossible puzzle you have to do the easy things. Sad but true.
@@kelvinrichu2388 Really, we should be pressuring America, China, and India to cut down on their CO2 emissions if anything.
That building looks beautiful
Burkina Faso's rural architecture is beautiful, just hoping that extends to cities as well
You should mix the mud with cement and adequate lime to give the brick its durability and resistance.
yeah, they have to be mixing or coating the bricks with something to make them water stable / resistant. I wish they addressed this a bit more.
Adding cement in soil for walls it is actually detrimental to the long term durability of a structure. You're trading the self-healing qualities of clay for the rigid fracturing qualities of cement. People often don't realize how weak cement is on its own in terms of sheer strength. That's why they mix cement with aggregate and plasticizers for concrete and fortify it with lots of metal rebar. Once cement fractures it provides little to no strength. Clay, on the other hand if fractured, can rebond. That's why you don't see 1000 year old concrete buildings, but you do see 1000 year old earthen buildings.
@newolde1 clays not water stable though, if you're in an area with risk of floods, high humidity, rains, etc. , wouldn't want to add at least lime? How do the clay structure that last 1000s of years survive? If you have more information on this, I'm honestly very interested
The tallest structures built by animals are made with mud. They are termite mounds in Africa/Australia, which can reach 13 metres in height.
It’s burj khalifa For ur information even humans are animal
Untill it rains....
@@kwisin1337 I am pretty sure it can withstand rain
I am curious to know the resistance of this kind of material if the construction of multi-storey buildings ... and especially how it holds up in the long term and the impact of rain / cold on the structure
I don't believe it would be ideal for key ares with higher seismic zones - and I doubt the compression forces could take the vertical loads well without adding columns of a different material to the design mix - which could solve both seismic and compression loading. They kinda touch on this in the video by adding concrete.
@@Johnnyprc I see 👍
just look up yemen skyscrapers. mud has been used for thousands of years in every continento on earth.
@@Yan34452 It doesn’t. Green heads bullshitting as usual.
@@goncalodias6402 Yemen is not close to seismic zones.
Moral : Developing countries are paying the harms caused by the developed countries .
Umnh not really in this case, they are just opting for better solutions for hotter countries. This is not for cold 🥶 countries, unless they will add insulations to take care of the cold.
@@cmartin5903 The pueblos of the American southwest are built with adobe earth, and are the oldest continously inhabited buildings in the country, at around 1000 years old at least. Up in the mountains, in the desert, it gets very cold. Do your research before dismissing these techniques.
very impressed by the anti industrialization take of concrete being devoid of architectural identity
what a brilliant visionary this lady is
It was the traditional way of building houses in India years back before cement was introduced It was so Ecco friendly so cool inside and was so strong It was cut out from Earth with special hand machine s
Great work Thank you
I think, when it comes to building a home, most people in developing countries would not care about climatic impact. The primary concerns are cost of construction, durability, thermal property and aesthetics. Natural material is definitely durable, thermally well-behaved and aesthetic. Cost is still higher than industrialised material, but its cost can be reduced through innovation and widespread adoption. I feel that this is where our efforts and focus should be.
This was excellent
Bravo ! il est temps de changer les mentalités obsolètes et toxiques ... Vive ce genre d'évolution vers "plus de conscience" . Merci a vous 🤗☺
Hempcrete is something people should look towards. Now that it's cousin has been decriminalized it's worth looking at compared to concrete. Only issue so far is you need lime (not lemon as in lime) as a binder which is why we need to find alternatives. It help bring win the war of 1939-45 it can help the problems we have today. To save land you do vertical farming.
Hempcrete is a more sustainable alternative to concrete. It is fire resistant, has better insulation and is more resilient to earthquakes. Despite being quite a versatile material, hempcrete does not have to capacity for load bearing walls on its own. It needs reinforcement. Sure, you could try using engineered timber or bamboo as alternatives for conventional steel reinforcement. But that brings a whole other set of issues, I’ve never seen anyone try it yet, though.
Beloved this is so amazing
What a fantastic discussion . Mon chapeau a vous tous. !!
This is an old concept, mud is great but needs regularly new coating and wood for bigger structures
Beautiful minds!
Time for Timbuk 3!!!
Africa has been building these for years
mud building exists everywhere.everywhere where there are no big trees or rocks, people built with mud. look up yemen skyscrapers, old multi story buildings built with mud wich are still standing, hopefully the saudis wont destroy them
ancient Egyptian still teach us till today interesting
Great feed.
beautiful
Very well done!!
I love her message
So Glad This revolution has begun… I can’t wait to contribute my own 5kobo
Lol naija man
4:11 where i come from(india) same kind of stone is used to construct house from acient time. We still use it today
Very nice, I love the idea.
The Narrator saying Burkina Faso has limited resources is really insulting. To the country and the African continent who supports the globe. It was possible to appreciate Ms.Sawadogo's passionate approach without degrading the country.
Building with earth empowers people to create their own housing, with the materials around them, without the need for a supply chain, as needed with concrete, for example. A supply chain that is unsustainable, drives up cost, and makes housing unattainable for most. In the U.S., the failure of the current paradigm is clearly seen, and felt, in the thousands of homeless encampments that have sprung up in major metropolitan areas in the past decade.
excellent documentary
Showing brick is not handmade mud brick, natural stone brick. This is Ancient and traditional in Kerala. This brick surviving multi hundred years from rains...
Way forward
Great consciousness Isn’t the materials shown laterite ? Which is mined ? I don’t see any earth blocks being used ! Just asking
what bothers me is that the problem of rain wasn't really adressed does it really resist well to the effects of time and weather? and also as someone said the earth is quite variable each places needing new test of the material but this problem i guess can be adressed maybe by classifying the dirt in different big categories or getting it by a steady source . maybe even modifying the dirt with other ingredients to get to the norm needed. it got potential but i feel like it's still at it's beginning. truly hope to see it grow tough it's a great idea and in a general way we need way more innovations in architecture.
it also doesn't seem sustainable for big cities wich are the one creating most of the CO2 from building with cements
Yeah and cracks from droughts
She's studying all that, but there is also the history of Nubian buildings model which she is trying to build on with concern to climate.
She directly addressed the issue of rain by adding small amounts of concrete.
The showing is not a hand made mud bricks, it is called naturally made "Earthen Latrate" available in Kerala, India. Ofcourse we need an alternative to protect our nature 🌹
In our local people in Indonesia, We use red clay, but the problem is they must burned with fire wood. And in our modern citizen in city we using this material for hibrid architecture, because it can absorb heat and have waterproof effect much better especially for water tank. I think masive production of beton cement can cause destruction to our environment especially karst ecosystem.
Me - But you said they live in mud houses Them - Well it's complicated
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
When travelling from Asia to Africa,there is no need to open your eyes,our dwellings look the same.
How do we build multi-level buildings without reinforced concrete or steel? We could use mud bricks in walls though.
Probably something a lot like a building using hempcrete: steel or timber structural skeleton, then filling the voids with locally harvested earth.
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
In the search for our innate pure nature, we will discover our lost compassion.
I've always adored mud houses, for esthetics, for effectiveness in warm climates, for closeness to nature. There's one thing that bugs me though (lack of my knowledge): isn't clay the most fertile ground? In other words: would large-scale mud buildings decrease the amount of available arable land? Or is there enough to go around?
My Grandmother has a house made of mud bricks and it sticks and it's wet and humid all the time in there, even though it was built with proper craftsmen after her wedding. She is in Easter Europe, in case one wonders.
you need cross ventilation
@@seihyunpyo5383 Yes, but it still has a distinctive smell, I don't really like it at all. Bricks are fairly easy to made and is nothing else but burned mud, which is the perfect material to build a house
We have lots of those in Serbia too. Earth houses in this region require a set of knowledge to work properly that has mostly been forgotten. Roof has to be maintained, overhangs of adequate proportions used, using vapor permeable paint and insulation materials, proper drainage of immediate surrounding and the street... After ww1 and ww2 population not native to northern Serbia moved there, replaced Germans and part of Hungarians and got into their houses made of earth. Houses relatively quickly got a reputation of being damp and moldy. Funny thing that first thing most of them did was fill in drainage ditches running along the street and cut down mulberry threes lining them. Mulberry being important since its roots go straight down and very, very deep pulling water down along. Later on they started using cement mortars for wall repair and non permeable paints trapping moisture within the walls and causing mold. Earth houses are just fine, but come with some idiosyncrasies that make them different than standard houses and require some thought if not work.
And we still flush 15 liters of water down the toilet.
I like the structures, very nice, and mud's amazing stuff. I don't like the climate change bs though.
Your from Nigeria 🇳🇬 ?
In south india people are using this bricks from hundreds of years ago
That's stone, my dude, we use it in India, I didn't know it was unique
batu bata tetap terbaik
multi story buildings?
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
You mean the ancients had it right, and those currently in developing countries?
Mud other soil and baked in stone.. will much durable from rain
i prefer cheap housing, if carbon negative was the goal, western amd america will not ban other country to build nuclear powerplant. electricity is the biggest carbon emition anyway
Until the day I see them build skyscrapers with mud I would never build with mud
Sustainability is sensibility 💦💨🦓🍃🍂🐬🐢🐳🦋🐌
Please understand that reading subtitles on a mobile screen is... not an experience one looks forward to. A voiceover would be most helpful. Great info, though, as usual.
Sourdough-go
But how does it stand up to rain and storms
The type of stones in Burkina Faso is the same type of rock found in Kerala the southern state of India . Laterite Stone. i am surprised
We all dig the earth and make home, then years after we leave, then earth get vex and spit out lava ash, then we ask y it happened
Black people never stop
I guess if they don't need to build higher than 1 story or dense, then mud is suitable. Any industrialized country would have at least sorted the "mud" into various concentrations of dirt/fibrous material to make mixes suitable for various needs/uses.
this is still a work in progres, without more research we won't reach the point where we will be able to build a tower out of this
look up yemen skyscrapers. ancient multi story cities buit of mud and adobe
Stabilised mud bricks can be used to build four or more storey buildings
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
Mud is the solution. Make African art structures
Yes!! Let's return to Sumeria and we can all live in ziggurats. At least until the rains start again. Water has a tendency to return mud bricks back to mud.
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
I think mud bricks have to be cooked so thier hard.
It is weird that an architect is giving this presentation when such mechanical/material properties are studied by engineers. Where is the competent engineer?
Concrete is the worst thing that you can use because it sucks the oxygen out of the air
The video stats out stating that concrete and cement buildings are seen as a sign of development but that the reality is quite different…then talks about climate, and carbon footprint. That is a different issue, even though concrete has a high carbon footprint. Concrete and cement are undeniably more permanent for large buildings, which is particularly where development can be seen. Uses of earth for smaller structures makes perfect sense and should be promoted if only for being cost effective. It also shows small buildings, which are not a sign of development (or of underdevelopment). But until Western skyscrapers are built of mud and wood, stop the nonsense.
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
@@HW369 Dry climates, constant upkeep. SMH.
@@stevensmith2078 Fujian and Taos are not exactly dry, and experience wide temperature variation. Earth buildings regulate the diurnal and seasonal temperature better. Wood and concrete also require constant upkeep - paint, concrete wicks moisture, and one constantly needs to be on guard for black mold, especially in basements. Tuckpointing, termites, foundation issues. Every structure will fall into disrepair without upkeep. Earth buildings are far more efficient. Less cost to heat and cool. You do you though. Concrete is your "tradition". I'm sure it also makes you a lot more $$$ than an earth building would.
Wood scyscrapers are already being built, Here in Sweden.
@@stevensmith2078 Upkeep is a plus, because you can actually repair it. Most western buildings will be falling apart in 60 years due to not being able to repair them.
ah yeah, brick. Isn't that old tech with several limitations?
I always wonder why Asians and Africans must use traditional building materials while Europeans and North Americans don't do that or even approve of such materials in their building codes. It seems more of an inhabiting tactic by Westerns than a concern for the environment
What happens if there is an earthquake, floods or forest fires because of increased solar storms?
Architects don't biuld they design... And then someone else is paid to actually make the biulding stable...
Why did you feel the need to say this?
Yes, as a plumber I had to waterproof architect designed buildings many times, there is a disconnect between real world and whats whirling around on the screen or even drafting table. I’d like to see their roofing details.
Not true. I studied Architecture in college and we had a unit called "Structures" which is structural engineering. Your designs as an Architect must be structurally stable.
@@mirage1500 what do you mean you had to waterproof the building
When rains comes what happens.
Now after the concrete factory’s huh
isnt that just a brick
First west destroyed native people and their lifestyle than after loot and exploitation they teach what they were doing😢😢
Yeah just add water or a big earth quake....
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
OKAY someone tell me the pic at 6:11 was not designed by a five year old I will give you $500! LOL
better than concrete? no its not.
It is because it's more sustainable and cheaper
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
Why does this 'doc' have English narration some of the time, but French speaking, and subtitles the rest?
Why do you think?
"cities"...when i see a skyscraper built out of mud, then i'll take videos like this serious.
Hakka Tulou buildings are multistory rammed earth, and 100's of years old. The adobe skyscrapers of Yemen are made of Earth. The adobe pueblos of the American Southwest are adobe, and the oldest inhabited structures in the country, at roughly 1000 years old. Have a look at the great mosque of Djenne, Mali. Earth buildings heat and cool more effectively, can survive fire, earthquakes, floods (when mixed with adequate lime) and last longer than concrete.
I call absolute bs!
concrete comes from nature
Mathematically 8% of 38% of the total carbon footprint is really insignificant. You also never explained how it is better. You still have to mine to get the products at. This is Bloomberg science
They explained that the materials are locally sourced so you reduce shipping costs, they also don't need to be processed as intensely as concrete. There are also ecological implications to only using local materials so you're not importing foreign minerals that create imbalance. They also explained how it's better suited for maintaining temperature stability in rising temperatures. I think you just weren't paying attention.
too much of pointless talk.. can instead focus on the building technique
Yeah, and maggots are better than meat, we got it
You say mud, mud, mud...but keep showing laterite blocks. Yes, it is a naturally occurring stone, but to show it while saying mud is disingenuous!
Kinda f'ed up, she is obviously African, and from Africa, but she is actually speaking French. to me that is so gross, just like South Africans speaking English, or Eastern countries using Italian. Just goes to show how the North American Indians where not the only cultures grossly effected by colonization.
Yes, but most Africans speak their ethnic languages, like Swahili, unlike the aboriginal Americans who were breeded out and forced to adopt spanish as their main language. Africans cant get breeded out because their genes are too strong.
Run, Quick, save yourself, the Earth is going to burn up.....Move into a cave and eat bugs.....