Building With Earth

Since prehistoric time man had used whatever material that was available to him to build, depending on the endowment of his immediate vicinity or what he could easily acquire from outside. One of the common materials he used was the earth itself- which he obtained from under his feet .But unfortunately this age-old building material has fallen into such disfavor that to build with earth today is considered primitive and outdated; it is bedeviled with many negative perceptions. This is unfortunate. Earth, in its various forms, has many good qualities in construction that calls for a rethink.It is in recognition of these good qualities and the potential that this versatile building material possesses that we think it is time to rekindle everybody’s interest in earth as a building material. It is our humble opinion that because of its numerous advantages, earth deserves a place, nay, and a prime place in our effort to chart a National Building Materials Policy for Nigeria. It is already happening among some industrialized nations. Let us follow suite.