Domaine de la Terre in Villefontaine (Isère, Francia): balance of an exemplary experiencie

Abstract

The article presents the result of an earth construction operation performed in the eighties of last century, which still has an exemplary character for not being repeated on a similar scale in European countries for nearly thirty years. It is a social housing program developed after the difficult period of the energy crisis of the late seventies, which began research and experimentation works to find alternative solutions in energy consumption. The project, called Le Domaine de la terre, was also conducted in the context of the presentation of an exhibition at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, Architecture of land or the future of an ancient tradition. The international debate around the exhibition invited to test the feasibility of a particular resurgence of earthen architecture, in real conditions. By this time the challenge was considerable, because there were no companies whith suficcient know-how. It was necessary to train workers to build wall in stabilized earth blocks and terre-paille, in place. It was necessary, in conditions of absence of standards, to create conditions for a pilot experiment with the support of Construction and Housing Plan, a program of pilot projects promoted by the French government. The program, though difficult to realize, was a success, and was both a technical and constructive, architectural and economic demonstration.