This handbook provides practical help in choosing whether to, and how to build with earth, from soil selection to construction and maintenance. Earth can achieve very high quality and durability as a building material. It is also frequently used by people with few other resources for building. In many countries earth is associated with poverty, and is not thought of as a high quality and durable material. Much effort in recent decades has gone into giving earth building the technical and social credibility that it deserves. Today earth building successfully meets both modern and traditional building needs. It has also retained its advantage of responding to the requirements of both the rich and the poor. The techniques described in the revised and updated second edition of this book have a focus on maintaining this balance, and on achieving good quality results with accessible methods.

This handbook provides practical help in choosing whether to, and how to build with earth, from soil selection to construction and maintenance. Earth can achieve very high quality and durability as a building material. It is also frequently used by people with few other resources for building. In many countries earth is associated with poverty, and is not thought of as a high quality and durable material. Much effort in recent decades has gone into giving earth building the technical and social credibility that it deserves. Today earth building successfully meets both modern and traditional building needs. It has also retained its advantage of responding to the requirements of both the rich and the poor. The techniques described in the revised and updated second edition of this book have a focus on maintaining this balance, and on achieving good quality results with accessible methods.