FROM BELOW ROTTERDAM

Research on Rotterdam earth and reuse potentials

with Rotterdam Municipality - Citylab010 -

and Georges Taminiau - Pauline Merlet - Sarah Van Giesen

2021 - On going

From Below Rotterdam / Van Rotterdamse Bodem is a pilot project and research on re-using Rotterdam clay as a building material. A team of architects in collaboration with local parties of Rotterdam Municipality, is working on a series of onsite research and experiments focusing on left over clays extracted from the sewerage system of Rotterdam. While the world is facing ressources shortage, we look at earth as one of the most CO2 neutral and regenerative materials. The unique materiality of raw earth offers incomparable plasticity, stability, and substantial architectural qualities. The research develops material flow maps and identifies the potential of several earth- based building techniques. Through this process, raw materials, samples, prototypes and photographs showcase the potential of Rotterdam earth to build a sustainable city. This temporary soil laboratory is a tool to imagine resilient and healthy architectures made of the urban mines of Rotterdam.

Team / Estelle Barriol, Lotte Wigman, Hannah Sheerin