The construction industry pollutes the climate and exploits resources. At the World Congress of Architects in Brazil, one architect is pushing clay as the sustainable building material that could change the world.

The regional climate, the nature of the soil, the materials available: The challenges and conditions of building a house depend on local conditions and necessities.

At the same time, the coronavirus pandemic has presented the construction industry with a problem of global dimensions. The past year and a half have shown how fragile world trade is and how quickly demand can exceed supply and cause supply bottlenecks.

Transport routes are also being scrutinized, since transporting materials around the world by truck and ship, which has a high carbon footprint, no longer seems appropriate in view of climate change and the lack of raw materials.

“We need to focus much more on local resources,” architect Anna Heringer told DW. Together with colleagues, she has been discussing sustainable building at the 27th World Congress of Architects, which is organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA), the largest international association of architects. This year’s event runs from July 18 to 22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Resilience is greatest when you are not dependent on external markets,” Heringer said. “We have a fantastic building material everywhere: clay.”

Heringer, a German architect who focuses on sustainable building, has been working with the raw material since her college days. Her work has won several awards, and UNESCO appointed her an honorary professor in its Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures and Sustainable Development program.

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