Why does raw earth seem so incongruous in the city? It was during an experience of building with raw earth in Paris that this unusual but obvious question came to me, thus giving rise to this dissertation. The cultural difference between the urban and rural environments is manifested through different materialities, landscapes and problematics. The inclusion of raw earth, a material seen as rural, in an urban environment is therefore not insignificant, both on a technical level and a cultural one. As both environments are going through major change, this dissertation is an opportunity to consider possible connections between them through a common material, one that conveys meaning on an emotional, technical and environmental level.
