“Earth is thoroughly honest.” A Conversation with Prof. Dr.-Ing Christof Ziegert on building with earth.
In March 2024, while involved in the planning and construction of the new Weleda central warehouse, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christof Ziegert from ZRS Architekten Ingenieure gave an interview to Architekturblatt magazine. During the conversation, he answers a variety of questions on the subject of earth construction, discusses the special features and advantages of this construction method, and explains how it can be best utilized. He then addresses topics such as how the construction method is being promoted through standardization, research, and teaching, and explains how a paradigm shift is currently taking place in the construction industry. The full interview is available via the link below.
The new central warehouse building for the Weleda company in Schwäbisch-Gmünd (property planning by MichelGroup) is the largest contiguous rammed earth building in Germany, measuring 82 x 38 m. The surrounding rammed earth walls, with a height of 8 m, are part of the 31 m high building envelope. It extends 5 m into the ground with a reinforced concrete trough and continues above the rammed earth walls with a further 18 m of insulated timber facade. This combination of different building elements is designed to enable the building to operate without the need for cooling or heating for the sensitive cosmetics and medicines produced by Weleda. This indoor climate concept, devised by the Transsolar office, has indeed proven successful in practice.
Link to the interview: Architekturblatt
Photo: Weleda Logistics Cradle Campus | Schwäbisch Gmünd © Weleda AG, Photo: Marco Licht
