By Yaiza Martínez
The “You have land, you have a house” project emerged a year and a half ago, when one of its founders and current president, Antonio Prados, discovered earth constructions with some friends. So they all went to California to train to learn how to build them.
Since that moment, this group of entrepreneurs has dedicated themselves to building earth houses, and teaching other people how to make their own homes, basically using earth and lime.
Currently, the development of the project is carried out by professionals from various disciplines who believe that things can be done differently: they believe in another way of associating, working and building, in short, living more in harmony with society. nature, and in accordance with the energy and economic needs of today's society.
Therefore, their earth houses are more energy efficient and ecological, resistant and durable. But, in addition, they are much cheaper than a traditional house. Antonio Prados details the characteristics and advantages of these constructions in the following interview.
What is an earth house and how is it different from a traditional construction, apart from the material with which it is made?
The earthen houses are the truly traditional ones. We build round houses with earth and lime, and we like to say that traditional construction is that which is made with vernacular techniques and materials. Today's construction, the standardized one, is not traditional... The first homes that human beings build when they leave the caves have one thing in common in all civilizations and on all continents: they are made of earth.
In addition, they share another thing, and that is that they are round. In some cases, combined with wood, in others with straw, bamboo... etc., but they share being earthen and round. Because? Earth is the most available material on the planet and the round shape is the most logical and natural (square shapes practically do not occur in nature). In addition to being the one that best welcomes us and where energy circulates best.
What advantages do earthen houses have?
They are all advantages: they are more efficient, they consume less. Both in their construction and in their deconstruction, they have the least impact and leave the smallest ecological footprint. Furthermore, air conditioning them is much cheaper, around 60-70% less energy consumption, which is outrageous.
On the other hand, earth houses are sustainable, they are the most ecological houses that exist; and they are very solid and durable: being made with lime mortar and using dome designs (structurally the most stable) and vault makes them houses that last for many generations... They withstand earthquakes, floods and hurricanes.
Likewise, they are more organic, more human and healthier. In these houses, the walls "breathe" (unlike houses made with cement, iron, glass...), so the air quality is much better. They have great thermal and acoustic insulation (you rest inside...).
Finally, it must be added that these houses are unique because no one is the same as another, and because they are built completely by hand. And they are very beautiful.
As for the drawbacks, it should be noted that earth houses are not made for the "high density" of cities and have limitations in terms of heights (they are usually built with one or two floors), although we have examples of constructions with earth in some countries, such as Yemen and others, where you can find eight-story earthen buildings that are 800 years old...
When and how did the “You have land, you have a house” project arise, which encourages the construction of this type of houses in our current society?
The project arose a little over a year and a half ago, when some friends and I discovered this type of construction and went to California to train. We were clear that we wanted to live in this type of houses, and spread this type of construction. We wanted to teach others how to build their own houses and show them that building your own house is possible, without having to be a bricklayer or architect. And that's how we are doing it. Of course, we also design and build these wonderful homes for anyone, anywhere, for more than reasonable prices.
In today's society, anything is no longer worth it. There are more and more of us who want to live and "do" differently. When we talk about housing, very important disciplines come into play, which are related to the four elements: water (to which we pay a lot of attention), both what we collect and what we use and reuse and what we discard and reintegrate into the "system." , as clean as possible; the air, of which we have already spoken; fire (energy), in this sense we address the systems with which we produce energy and the responsibility towards its expenditure; and, of course, the earth which is our main component, "our element".
How are you expanding the construction of earthen houses throughout our country and other places in the world?
We do it in several ways. On the one hand, giving training workshops, both in our permanent school in Cuellar (Segovia), and on site, for organizations and groups from all over Spain.
In addition, we give talks and presentations at schools, universities and interested centers throughout the country. On the other hand, we are beginning to develop development cooperation projects, such as the one we have started in the Sahrawi refugee camps of Tindouf, in Algeria, where we are going to build a series of earthen pharmacies and at the same time teach and train a group of young people so that they can organize themselves as a cooperative and can earn a living making these houses for others.
In these projects, the volunteer program will be very important, to which anyone who has been trained in one of our workshops can sign up by sending us their information on the website.
How many people have already built a dirt house thanks to your project?
We could not say how many people have built a house of these characteristics, but what we do know is that since our beginning, four new business projects have already been generated, by people who have trained with us, as well as countless associative and personal initiatives. Several homes are being built both in Spain and abroad, and there are many projects underway.
Where can you learn to build an earth house and what is needed?
You can learn it in any of the workshops we schedule throughout the year. The basic workshops are five days (Monday to Friday) or two weekends (for people who cannot take a whole week), and in them you leave prepared to undertake the construction of your earthen house (yes, always supervised by a qualified technician, as in any work). Yes, it sounds strange, but it's that simple.
And what is needed? Well, comfortable clothes, gloves, hat, glasses and a great desire to learn and work. We provide the theoretical material. What projects is the “You have land, you have a home” initiative developing for the future?
We are immersed in several projects. One of them is the standardization of the technique in the Spanish technical building code (CTE). For this we have formed a commission with the Higher School of Mines of Madrid, the Construction Materials Studies Laboratory (LOEMCO), the Association of Lime Producers (ANCADE), and we are taking the first steps.
On the other hand, we are creating a "Earth Builders Network" throughout Spain, to share projects and information; and we are organizing a volunteer program, which we have already talked about, to support the development cooperation projects that we are starting.
Likewise, we intend to install a permanent school in Madrid where, in addition to teaching how to build with earth, courses on renewable energy, water treatments and permaculture in general will be taught.
Finally, we intend to ensure that social and ecological housing are compatible, since until now ecological housing was expensive and social housing was "cheap" and of poor quality. We believe it is possible, and to do so we are looking for town councils that are "brave" and willing to tackle the housing problem in their municipality with a "breakthrough" program with what is established (without speculation). We know how to do it and we are willing to share it with any local corporation in Spain that contacts us.
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