In a world in which sustainability rises to the forefront of architectural debate, the practice of building with earth is gaining a renewed audience. Few places illustrate the potential of earthen architecture more vividly than the High Atlas of Morocco, where it is not a relic of the past but a living practice, tested by centuries of adaptation to environmental and cultural conditions.

What is earth construction?

Earth construction refers to the use of soil as the primary building material. It is made up of various techniques, each with distinct characteristics.

Among the most widely used traditional techniques is adobe. It involves shaping bricks from clay-rich soil mixed with straw and water, using wooden molds. They are then dried in the sun till they reach sufficient strength. These bricks are stacked with earthen mortar to create walls that are massive yet breathable. Their porosity moderates humidity, while their thermal inertia allows for temperature regulation. Adobe’s modular nature makes it adaptable: walls can be built incrementally, repaired, or thickened as needed. The craft lies not only in mixing but in proportioning the bricks, aligning them to minimise cracking, and integrating them with stone foundations.

Rammed earth, by contrast, is monolithic. Moist soil is compacted in layers inside a timber formwork. The method produces dense walls of extraordinary durability. Unlike adobe, rammed earth requires careful control of soil moisture and compaction, as well as precise carpentry for the wooden frame. Its aesthetics and performance are inseparable: the wall is both structure and finish, both load-bearing and protecting against the elements.

Compressed earth blocks (CEBs) represent a hybrid of tradition and mechanisation. Soil is pressed into regular blocks using manual or hydraulic machines. Lime is often added to the mixture to stabilize the bricks. Their uniformity accelerates construction and ensures greater consistency and strength. In Al-Haouz, CEBs are often made from Biyaadh soil, valued for its low shrinkage and fine grain. Though CEBs suggest modernisation, they remain embedded in the same logic: building with what is locally available, at human scale, with limited energy inputs.

Lime plays a crucial supporting role. It is sourced from local limestone and traditionally burned in small rural kilns. Lime is mixed with earth, sand, and water to create mortars and coatings. Unlike cement, hydrated lime reabsorbs carbon dioxide from the air, lowering its environmental impact.

The knowledge of soils

Earthen construction depends upon an deep understanding of soil. In Al-Haouz, builders distinguish between three soil types: Tirst, a slightly red-colored soil, is agriculturally productive but requires aggregates to enhance its suitability for construction. Irik, a gray soil with lower porosity, is more naturally suited for building. Biyaadh, a white soil found at deeper layers, is considered the most suitable for earthen construction.

Such knowledge is not only limited to selection, but also extends to preparation. For example, Tirst and Irik have a high clay content, making them prone to shrinkage and cracking. To mitigate these issues, fiber reinforcement is necessary, allowing these soils to be effectively used in adobe brick production. They are left to rest before use, allowing for partial hydration of clays. Builders know instinctively when the soil is too wet or too dry, judging by its colour, smell, and how it holds in the hand. This expertise is not always found in technical manuals, however, it forms the foundation of quality control.

Earth Construction in Al-Haouz: A Living Tradition

In Al-Haouz, centuries of environmental adaptation have produced a construction system tailored to the region’s semi-arid and mountainous terrain.

Foundations are laid with river stones bonded by earth and lime raising the structure above ground level and peotecting it from moisture seeping in to the wall. On top of these foundation, walls of adobe, rammed earth or stone masonry are built, depending on the availability of stone and the type of local soils. The roof demonstrates particular ingenuity. Timber beams of walnut, pine or willow span the walls, carrying the shuttering made of reeds, planks or thin sandstone slabs. Above them lies a thick layer of earth mixed with straw and/or volcanic pozzolana. This layer serves as insulation and moderates the interior environment by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Along the edges of the roof, cantilevered sandstone eaves known as Tifirt extend outward to prtect the earthen walls from rainwater.

Why Earth Construction Matters Today

In a world tackling climate change, material scarcity, and increasing energy demands, earth construction offers a compelling alternative to conventional building. Its environmental impact is minimal compared with concrete or steel, since soil is often sourced directly from the site itself.

The thermal performance of earthen structures is equally significant. Thick walls provide passive climate control, storing heat during the day and releasing it at night. This stabilizes indoor temperatures and reduces dependence on artificial heating and cooling systems. The architecture functions as both shelter and environmental mediator.

However, the value of earth construction cannot be measured only in ecological terms. In Al-Haouz it is also a cultural practice, sustained through generations and embedded in local customs and forms of knowledge. Building with earth carries social meaning, affirming continuity between community and landscape, and articulating a technical wisdom that is inseparable from cultural identity.

The earthquake of 2023 in Al Haouz unsettled these perceptions. Images of collapsed villages circulated widely, reinforcing the false stereotype of earthen houses as weak. The reality was more complex. Failures were most often the result of lost or neglected knowledge: walls raised without proper anchoring, incorrect material mixtures, or proportions altered to save time and labour. Where traditional detailing was respected, structures resisted far more effectively.

The conclusion is clear. Earth is not inherently fragile, but earthen construction is highly dependent on the retention of craft. Like timber framing in Japan or dry-stone building in the Mediterranean, its resilience lies in the continuity of technique. When this continuity is disrupted through migration, neglect or the imposition of unsuitable modern materials, the system becomes vulnerable. The earthquake therefore exposed less a material deficiency than a cultural and political one, revealing the marginalisation of rural expertise and the undervaluing of vernacular knowledge.

A Model for Sustainable Futures

The future of earthen construction lies in recovering and refining this knowledge, combining it with contemporary engineering where needed. Seismic safety can be enhanced without sacrificing cultural and ecological integrity. Rather than being consigned to heritage preservation, earth construction should be recognised as a modern, building system.

In this sense, Al-Haouz is not a relic of the past but a source of inspiraton for the future. Its earthen architecture demonstrates that building sustainably is not always about technological invention but about revaluing knowledge already embedded in the land. These buildings remind us that architecture can emerge from soil, stone, and environment, rather than be imposed upon them.

At a time when questions of carbon emission, resource use and environmental impact increasingly shape architectural discourse, the lessons from Al-Haouz carry particular weight. To build with earth is not only to limit dependence on industrial materials, but also to embed architecture within cycles of renewal, continuity and repair. It is to construct in harmony with the landscape rather than in opposition to it, producing an architecture that is materially appropriate, culturally grounded and environmentally responsive.