Revealing the potential of Compressed Earth Blocks : a visual narration
Author(s)
Rabie, Omar
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Alternative title
Revealing the potential of CEB : a visual narration
Other Contributors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.
Advisor
John de Monchaux and John Fernandez.
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Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB) is a developed earth technology, in which unbaked brick is produced by compressing raw soil using manual, hydraulic, or mechanical compressing machines. Revealing the potential of an affordable sustainable material like CEB may help tackle today's fundamental challenges, social equity and environmental sustainability. For one year in India, I learned and practiced the basics of this technology in Auroville Earth Institute, and then conducted a group of design and construction experimentations for a natural resort project. Through these experimentations, I tried to reveal CEBs' capabilities through design innovation. The thesis captures my new understandings of the design competence of the material in relation to the design process, through narrating the story of this experience using images and a dialogue between the designer, mason, sponsor and the blocks themselves.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-64).
Date issued
2008Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of ArchitecturePublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Architecture.