Clay as a building material – a success story
Clay has been used as a building material since humans first left their caves and set out to discover the world. Clay is a building material that has always been there – and always will be. Mixed with straw, wood and sand, it can be moulded into stable units, and no tools were needed to build houses. The beneficial properties that we attribute to clay today were of course also present back then, but they were not as hotly debated as they are today.
Why did people come up with the idea of building with clay? We can only speculate. Our assumption is that living space became scarce. After all, there are not that many caves in the world, and as the human population grew, affordable living space was needed. Extracting clay as a building material was easy; muscle power and skilled hands were sufficient for processing it. So there was a good reason for the success story of clay construction.
Clay – a building material of the past,
of today and tomorrowClay construction is widespread throughout the world. This building technique developed intuitively and independently in different parts of the world. It did not require global networking or the transfer of knowledge from one continent to another. No, clay construction arose naturally (even before the era of Homo sapiens) because this building material was available worldwide – and will continue to be available in the future, as almost the entire earth's crust consists of clay. Generations around the world have shown us how to build sustainably with low energy consumption. There are various building forms worldwide that are based on clay, supplemented by wood, plant fibres and stone. Clay has proven itself as a building material: it is easy to work with and 100% reusable. No downcycling, no use of old building materials as filler. No, 100% recyclability.
We know of no other building material that can do this. Our ancestors therefore built ecologically and for the future – quite naturally and as a matter of course.
We can now invest much more energy in the production of building materials. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not necessarily a good thing: cement and downstream concrete production are responsible for around 10% of global CO₂ emissions. This is a level that we can no longer afford in view of the climate crisis.
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The use of clay follows nature
We used to see them much more often, but they cannot cling to modern façades and are often unwelcome: swallow nests. The birds, considered sacred in ancient times and revered in the Middle Ages as bringers of good luck and harbingers of spring, are regarded as our cultural companions and are closely linked to our habitats. Swallows build their nests out of clay, preferably in sheltered corners of buildings.
At conluto, we actively protect swallows: on our clay hill, they find plenty of building material, which we are happy to provide. And in our halls and on our buildings, there is enough space for many nests. More than 30 pairs breed with us every year, and the number is growing annually. Swallows like to live in communities in the countryside. We have now been recognised by NABU as a swallow-friendly house, a title we wear with pride.
Clay – much more than mud and sludge
Give children a place where they can find clay. And time. You will be impressed by the joy these children will experience. No television series or online game can offer children what clay can. Clay awakens their imagination; this soft material, which can be shaped so wonderfully, becomes works of art in children's hands. We see this time and again in the nursery projects we support. This enthusiasm for clay as a natural building material does not remain in its infancy, of course, because adults also use it in art. Or in their own living environment. We believe that only clay can be so naturally beautiful and individual.
Clay is (life) art
Jörg Meyer, our company founder and sole shareholder, sees another aspect to clay: using clay to create art. "Art has the task of expressing cracks in society. Clay is the building material that binds and brings together," is his interpretation. Clay connects cultures, and we see it as our task to give clay a place in our lives again.
When you build with clay, you will feel the fascination. And later, when you have completed your building project, you will be amazed at what you have achieved with your own hands. Be inspired by a building material that is so old and yet so modern. It will enrich your life.