About

Promoting Sustainable Building Practices through Education, Community Engagement, and Creative Design

Mission

Our mission is to promote sustainable building practices through education, community engagement, and creative design. We aim to empower individuals and communities to take action towards a more sustainable future by providing hands-on learning opportunities and prioritizing natural materials that are renewable and recycled. We seek to raise awareness about the environmental impact of conventional building practices and inspire a shift towards more sustainable building solutions, creating healthy, beautiful, affordable and regenerative homes and structures.

Guiding Principles

Sustainability:

We prioritize sustainability in all aspects of our work, from sourcing materials to designing buildings and hosting workshops. We strive to use materials that are renewable, non-toxic, and locally sourced whenever possible.

 

Holistic approach:

We approach natural building and sustainable architecture with a holistic perspective, taking into account the needs of the environment, the local community, and the individual. We believe that building with natural materials is not only good for the environment, but also promotes physical and mental well-being.

 

Hands-on learning:

We believe that learning by doing is the most effective way to gain knowledge and skills. Our workshops emphasize hands-on learning, allowing participants to engage with the materials and techniques directly.

 

Creativity:

We encourage creativity and innovation in our building designs and workshops. We believe that natural building materials offer a unique opportunity for artistic expression and experimentation.

 

Empowerment:

We seek to empower individuals and communities to take action towards a more sustainable future. Our workshops provide participants with the knowledge and skills they need to build their own natural homes and structures.

 

Environmental awareness:

We are committed to raising awareness about the environmental impact of conventional building practices. Our workshops provide an opportunity for individuals to learn about the benefits of natural building and the impact of their choices on the environment.

 

Community engagement:

We prioritize community engagement in our work, building partnerships with local organizations and hosting workshops that are accessible to all members of the community.

 

Head, hands, and heart:

We believe that natural building and sustainable architecture requires a balance of intellectual, practical, and emotional skills. Our workshops aim to develop participants’ head, hands, and heart, fostering a deep connection to the earth and a sense of responsibility towards the environment.

“Build your architecture from what is beneath your feet”

Hassan Fathy

Laura Marini is a green architect specialized in bio-ecological architecture and in love with Earth Building.

 

A passionate advocate for sustainable living and environmentally-friendly building practices, she is on a mission to prove that eco-conscious design can also be beautiful, functional, and affordable.

 

After a Master’s degree in Architecture in Venice, she is studying Bioecological Architecture with ANAB-IBN and in 2005 she starts learning about Earth building technologies in Italy and in India at the Auroville Earth Building Institute. In 2010 she gets involved in a project for an artists Village in Brazil and she will run her first Earthen Plaster workshop in Bahia. Many will follow in Italy.

 

Arriving in Melbourne in 2017, she discovers Earthships and the different challenges of Australian Country, first of all, fire. In 2019 she joins the Environmental Leadership Program of the City of Port Phillip and organizes her first australian workshop about Earth Architecture at ESNLC Elwood and a few children workshops at Windsor Primary School, St Kilda Park Primary School and at Adventure Playground St Kilda. Daryl Taylor will be the guest speaker at her workshop Back to Earth, starting a new collaboration with Kinglake Earthship.

 

She is interested in Community projects and believes that building with earth is the best for everybody but especially for communities and has innumerable advantages for the environment and humans, for their mind and body: it is therapeutic, grounding, and joyful. Laura wants to spread that information wide and large, starting with kids, adults of the future.

 

Marini operates her own design practice, which focuses on creating beautiful, functional, and sustainable homes and buildings using natural materials. 

 

She is also an educator who hosts children’s workshops about the fun of working with earth as a building material. These workshops teach kids about the importance of sustainable living and encourage them to think creatively about how they can incorporate eco-friendly practices into their daily lives.

 

Her work wants to showcase the beauty, functionality, and affordability of eco-conscious design, and serves as a reminder that we can all make a positive impact on the environment, one mud brick at a time.