EARTH CONSTRUCTION IN THE NETHERLANDS

Resumen

In the Netherlands we have a limited earth construction tradition. The most common traditional architecture is the half-timbered houses in Zuid-Limburg. But in the past 20 years, earth construction has gained more recognition. This is due to growing environmental awareness and the increase interest for environmental issues such as climate change. It is noticed that some years ago, a thin earth layer was used for the finishing of walls, but nowadays earth is used more and more as a component of a system. The combination of heating hoses on walls or ceilings, finished with a thick layer of earth, is fully accepted with regard to ‘sustainable construction’ and it is a comfortable, energy efficient way of heating. However, sustainable construction is currently largely synonymous of CO2-neutral and energy efficiency. Since, in the design of very energy efficient buildings, the material aspect becomes more and more important. The future focus will be on the use of materials with the least environmental impact. Then, earth will achieve a very good score, which will lead to increased possibilities for the large scaled application of earth construction. As a construction company and due to its expertise, Leemwerk wants to play an active role in the Netherlands, increasing the use of earth construction.