Spring 2020 Down to Earth
Fall 2019 Down to Earth Design-Build
The Shell: A Community Center for EcoME
Design Proposal: Braddock Farms Sitting Area
Cath Dong and Vanshika Gandotra
A
AIA CES Credits
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AV Office
321M Fayerweather Hall
Christopher Day, Kane H. Chiang, Ben Goldie
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Abstract Publication
415 Avery Hall
Ilana Curtis
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400 Avery Hall
Danielle Smoller
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Admissions Office
407 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10027
Steffen Boddeker, Sara Konekeo, Monisola Fakiyesi
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Must be printed and returned to 400 Avery Hall
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Alumni Board
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Alumni Office
405 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10027
Leah Cohen, Esther Turay, Elizah Laurenceau
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Architecture Studio Lottery
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Assistantships
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Avery Library
300 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
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Joanna Joseph, Isabelle Kirkham-Lewitt
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Avery Shorts
Isabelle Kirkham-Lewitt, Joanna Joseph
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B
Black Student Alliance at Columbia GSAPP
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C
Career Services
300M Avery Hall
Karen Cover, Rebecca Andersen Polimeda, Douglas Woodward, Sarahgrace Godwin
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Isabelle Kirkham-Lewitt, Joanna Joseph, Meriam Soltan, Isabelle Tan
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Commencement
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415 Avery Hall
Steffen Boddeker, Lucy Krebsbach, Ilana Curtis
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Credit Transfer
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D
Dean’s Letter
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Dean’s Office
402 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
Janet Reyes, Sonya Marshall, Nicholas Roberts, Caio Major, Matthew Colunga
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404 Avery Hall
Leah Cohen, Esther Turay, Elizah Laurenceau
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Dodge Fitness Center
3030 Broadway Dodge
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E
End of Year Show
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415 Avery Hall
Steffen Boddeker, Lucy Krebsbach
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F
Faculty Directory
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406 Avery Hall
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Sarahgrace Godwin, Jorge Otero-Pailos
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G
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Alade S. McKen
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GSAPP Admissions 407 Avery Hall
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116 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027
Carlito Bayne, Sherly Orilas
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P
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New York, New York 10027
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R
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S
STEM Designation
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Down to Earth
Course Description
Natural building materials offer a minimally processed, non-toxic, and community self-sufficient alternative to conventional building materials. Constructing with these materials engages local communities, regardless of skills, including families and children, while maximizing the potentials of freely available resources.
In this course, students gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on building experience related to a range of natural materials including rammed earth, cob, clay plasters, and straw bale construction. Performance and environmental benefits of both residential and commercial earthen projects in a wide range of climates are introduced. Guest lectures and workshops provide insights from the field and give students the opportunity to gain hands-on expertise of alternative natural materials, an emerging field in sustainable architecture.
As a final deliverable, students collectively design and build a small-scale project while making a sensitive choice of materials, technical details, and participatory processes. The project will be intended to foster the local economy, create know-how to improve living conditions in the local context, and support a bottom-up form of capacity development for and with communities. A community celebration finalizes the construction process, followed by an in-campus exhibition.
Learning Objectives
By completing this course, students will be able to:
Identify history, current practices, and technical performance of various natural building techniques, including rammed earth, cob, adobe, light straw clay, straw bale construction, and clay plasters.
Assess the technical performance of case studies of natural building projects.
Formulate appropriate natural building materials and mixtures.
Work effectively and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team that include design, engineering, and construction professionals.
Design and build an actual small scale project to benefit the local community.
Publications and Events
