Anna Heringer, Architect and Visiting Professor from the University of Art and Design Linz, Austria, helps communities construct handmade buildings and uses "architecture as a medium to strengthen cultural and individual confidence, to support local economies and to foster the ecological balance." Using local materials and techniques, Heringer’s handmade buildings allow communities to find their own architectural solutions.
These handmade buildings save land for agriculture. Like traditional mud homes and schools, they are made more durable through improved building techniques including damp proofing and a hardy foundation of earth, water and rice-straw. Cows, rather than machinery, do the mixing. Says Heringer, "What I hope is that we’ll be able to set a trend in a fresh and regional architectural style that motivates people to bring their traditional construction methods."
Traditional Technique Architecture
Modern Buildings Created Using Old Tactics
Trend Themes
1. Handmade Buildings - Handmade buildings increase ecological balance, support local economies, and save land for agriculture.
2. Regional Architecture Trend - Creating a regional architectural style using traditional construction methods will motivate people to adopt such methods.
3. Improved Building Techniques - Improved building techniques increase the durability of handmade buildings.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Architecture industry can benefit from incorporating traditional construction methods by creating a new regional design trend.
2. Construction - Construction industry can benefit from adopting improved building techniques that increase durability of structures.
3. Agriculture - Agriculture industry can benefit from using land that has been saved by building handmade buildings.