Clay settlements and buildings
In addition to the particularly appreciated positive health and ecological properties, earthen building materials are also very popular on self-build sites, i.e. where people want to build themselves. Such construction sites are literally "uplifting" for those who create the rooms. Because clay can be wonderfully modelled, the material is particularly suitable for creative builders who want to realise their own authentic forms. The necessary knowledge can be learned relatively quickly in clay building courses.
The following project list includes 28 construction projects in Europe, mainly Germany, that have used earthen building materials in large quantities. The website can also be accessed via the following subdomain: www.lehmbau.siedlungen.eu
In the standard view, the earthen building projects are listed in descending order according to the number of residential units. The largest projects are therefore displayed first at the top.
ecovillage Hanover
Size: 500 residential units
D - 30539 Hanover Kronsberg: adjacent to the Expo-Settlement Hanover-Kronsberg soll das „ecovillage Kronsberg“ entstehen. Träger ist die Genossenschaft ecovillage hannover eG, die 2019 gegründet wurde. Die Genossenschaft hat das 49.300 m² große Grundstück 2021 von der Stadt Hannover gekauft. Ab 5/2024 befindet sich die Genossenschaft in einem Insolvenzverfahren in Eigenverwaltung. Fertigstellung: ?
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Heinrich Böll Estate
Size: 226 residential units
13156 Berlin-Pankow: Consortium Winfried Brenne Architekten / Joachim Eble Architektur, 226 units, largest roof-integrated solar power system on residential buildings in Europe; research study on the costs of ecological building materials (comparison with Berlin reference house). Reference: 1999
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Design study "Car-free solar settlement Nancystrasse
Size: 140 residential units
76187 Karlsruhe-Nordweststadt: the design was planned for an undeveloped plot of land as a student research project at the University of Karlsruhe in cooperation with the association ASKA e.V., but was not realized. Concept: 140 units, photovoltaic and biomass CHP, business and office facilities, community facilities, gastronomy, car sharing tower, reed sewage treatment plant, board stack wood construction, hemp, flax or cellulose insulation, social settlement concept, integrated living. Completion: not realized
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Eden Orchard Settlement
Size: 90 residential units
16515 Oranienburg: The Edensiedlung was founded in 1893 as "Vegetarische Obstbaukolonie Eden e.G.m.b.H.". The 18 founding members aspired to "a cooperative settlement on a soil-reform basis, exclusively for vegetarians". In 1901, the statutes were amended and since then anyone who "adopts a healthy lifestyle" can become a member of the cooperative. The Eden Garden Settlement developed a multi-layered horticulture. There is to this day a policy "Ecological horticulture" and specifications for the "Ecological building and settlement".. Completion: 1914
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Ecological residential park Zeulenroda
Size: 86 residential units
07937 Zeulenroda - Stadtbachring: Architecture: Reimund Stewen, Cologne; 87 units, low-growth house, building biology, timber frame construction
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Ecovillage Sieben Linden
Size: 60 residential units
D - 38489 Beetzendorf-Poppau: Here a new village for 300 inhabitants has been built since 1997. With currently 150 residents (approx. 60 units), a new self-sufficient village has been built since 1997, which enables people to live a sustainable lifestyle. There are 8 residential buildings plus the Regiohaus/Seminarzentrum, built in low-energy to passive house standards, in Sieben Linden (as of 10/2016). A straw-built guest house with 15 guest rooms is to be built in 2017/18.
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S.U.S.I.
Size: 45 residential units
79100 Freiburg-Vauban (Project No. 1): 285 adults, children and young people in 45 flats which are mainly divided into shared flats. Former barracks buildings converted with a lot of own work, modelled on the Cherysee barracks in Constance; creation of low-cost living space; biodiesel CHP local heat supply, clay interior plastering, cellulose insulation etc., partly very large shared flats; food coop, first occupancy after renovation with ecological building materials: 1993.
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Eco-settlement "Frasenweg
Size: 36 residential units
34128 Kassel: Ecological settlement "Frasenweg", Hegger, Hegger-Luhnen, Prof. Gernot Minke, Kassel, 36 dwelling units, GFZ 0.7, loam and timber frame construction, consistent use of recyclable and energy-saving building materials, green roofs, mound houses, rainwater harvesting, conservatories
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Housing estate Blessensahl Lübeck
Size: 36 residential units23569 LübeckResidential complex Blessensahl. Architect: Günter zur Nieden, Lübeck, Completion: 1998
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Pilot Project Ecological Housing Lübeck-Blessensahl
Size: 36 residential units
23569 Lübeck-Kücknitz: 36 social housing units in 3 buildings in low-energy and timber construction with a total living space of 2,213 m². Pilot project as part of the "Resource-saving construction" programme funded by the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The main premise in the implementation of this pilot project was the synthesis of healthy living, energy and cost-saving construction with child and family-friendly floor plans. Completion: 1998
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Baltic Sea Beach Village Augustenhof
Size: 30 residential units
23749 Grube: get to know ecological-sustainable building standards during their Baltic Sea holiday or do not have to do without them. 30 wooden buildings with green roofs, clay interior plaster, wood pellet heating, solar systems, separate toilets. Community house. Sauna.
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Tree houses by Frei Otto in Berlin-Tiergarten
Size: 26 residential units
10787 Berlin-Tiergarten: 26 WEs, tree houses by the architect Frei Otto (Stuttgart); built as part of the IBA 1987. The idea of the individual, stacked single-family house is implemented here in a variety of architectural forms. Completion: 1991
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WohnMichel in Michendorf
Size: 25 residential units
14552 Michendorf: Plot: 17,000 m², three houses in the 1st construction phase as two-storey apartment buildings and 500 m² living space each with eight or nine apartments. Together 25 WEs. Completion: 2019
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WEG "Am Rundling
Size: 22 residential units
12487 Berlin-Johannisthal: 20 houses with 22 residential units (KfW 40-60) for 70 small and large people, ecological housing project. Number of parking spaces: 0.3 PkWs/WE, 100 m² solar collectors (50 kW), 23 kW photovoltaic system, 99 kW wood pellet system (with exhaust gas heat exchanger, downstream flue gas scrubber and condensate heat exchanger), 600 m³ grey water system, completion: 2007
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Moor meadow settlement Kiel-Hassee
Size: 21 residential units
24113 Kiel-Hassee: Werkgemeinschaft für Architektur und Städtebau (Heidrun Buhse, H.Schulze, a.o.), 21 dwelling units, reed sewage treatment plant, compost toilets, BHKW with local heating network, planning by architects, cooperative, participation, community house, kindergarten, architectural office, organic building form. Completion: 1992
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Garden City Bornstedter Feld
Size: 19 residential units
14467 Potsdam: 19 terraced houses on the edge of the BUGA site, completion: 2001. Ecological board stack solid timber house, life cycle assessment study. Architect's office Brenne-Eble, Berlin. Client: GSW, Berlin
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Building Biology Settlement Friebertshausen
Size: 19 residential units
35075 Gladenbach-Friebertshausen: 19 houses, about 29 adults and 34 children. Approx. 18.000 m2 Property. Additional 22.000 m2 leased (playgrounds, orchards, ponds), construction period: 1987-90
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Community housing estate "Alte Gärtnerei" in Kiel
Size: 17 residential units
24113 Kiel: Follow-up project of the "Moorwiesensiedlung". Residential project with 17 building parties in 7 houses in low-energy standard and in consideration of ecological building principles. Occupation: 1999
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Clay housing estate Saarbrücken
Size: 14 residential units
66115 Saarbrücken: Architect: W. Göggelmann (Saarbrücken), 14 dwelling units, community house, social project, 800- 1000 hours of own work, 1.250 Euro/sqm, bright yellow natural paint on clay plaster, straw clay walls. Construction time: 1988 - 1994
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Clay housing estate Bous
Size: 14 residential units
66356 Bous (near Saarbrücken): 14 WE
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Cologne-Blumenberg eco-settlement
Size: 14 residential units
50827 Cologne-Blumenberg: Architect: Reimund Stewen, with passive solar use, natural building techniques (timber frame construction with 20% clay and 80% electricity infill), economical use of land, social diversity and cost savings through communal building, use of ecological building services, waste collection, recycling, installation of private gardens. Completion: 1989
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Clay housing estate Schöneiche
Size: 13 residential units
15566 Schöneiche: Clay housing estate, 13 flats. Completion: 1998
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Family hotel Weimar
Size: 11 residential units
99423 Weimar: New building with 11 holiday apartments, each with kitchen and balcony in sizes from 22 to 75 m², as well as a restaurant and roof garden. Solid wood construction, clay interior plaster, clay paints and block heating plant. Completion: 2012
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Neumühlen community housing estate
Size: 10 residential units
27283 Verden: In 2016, there are 18 adults and 9 children aged 4 to 16 living in 9 houses on the Community Estate site. There is still room for one more house.
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Ecological settlement "Clever Brise
Size: 7 residential units
23611 Bad Schwartau: sSeven terraced houses in timber frame construction with communal house and an office unit.Ecological and building biology materials, rainwater utilisation and combined heat and power plant. Completion: 1992
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Student residence Vaakerstrasse Kassel
Size: 2 residential units
34127 Kassel: Two buildings with 4 room flatshares each in loam and low-energy construction, transparent thermal insulation, high proportion of own work. Completion: 1995
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Mound house "Ökostation" Freiburg
Size: 1 units
79110 Freiburg-Seeparkgelände: Architecture: Möhrle (Freiburg), created as part of the State Garden Show; today used as a BUND centre for children and youth work (environmental education). Natural garden, solar systems, rainwater harvesting, mound wood construction. "Hogan" (Native American); ecological interior design (all-wood furniture, resource-saving household appliances, ...), completion: 1986
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