Since the mechanisation of the building process and the industrial production of building materials, building with clay has become a marginal topic in construction.
However, earth building is currently experiencing a renaissance, which we believe is due to three aspects:
- Aesthetic aspects
- Comfort aspects
- Global sustainability
In close co-operation with the city of Ludwigsburg and the local beekeepers on the Hungerberg in Ludwigsburg, the student project
"Naturinfozentrum Ludwigsburg - Villa Mellifera" has been developed.
It is a largely energy self-sufficient, resource-saving building made from natural materials. Students at the HFT-Stuttgart developed the innovative building as part of a seminar under the direction of Prof Andreas Löffler and his assistant Albert Stöcker. Under the expert guidance of Hubert Heinrichs (earth building), the project team constructed the building themselves. The building material, clay, comes directly from the surrounding area, the wood from the neighbourhood.
Self-sufficient in terms of heating, the building is supplied with a heat pump and ice storage technology.
Far ahead of its time, it is one of the most innovative buildings in the region. Universities from Germany and abroad like to visit it as a successful pilot project.
