This April, 13 participants from Accra, KNUST in Kumasi, and Germany came together at the Zero Km House in Butre for a hands-on workshop exploring the potential of earth as a building material.

Using the Zero Km House for the first time in its function as Training and Education Center for Earthen Construction (TETEC), participants worked with locally sourced clay and explored a range of traditional construction techniques, including rammed earth, wattle and daub, adobe brick making, bricklaying and earth plastering. Alongside the practical sessions, we discussed material performance, moisture management, termite protection, roof detailing, and approaches to material stabilization.

The workshop offered an opportunity to connect theory with practice while highlighting earth as a locally available, low-carbon, and climate-responsive building material. Hands in the soil, knowledge was shared across generations, ideas were exchanged, and connections began to grow. By the end of the weekend, the conversations continued long after the tools had been put down. We hope that the participants will carry their experience beyond the workshop, inspiring those around them to rediscover earth as a sustainable building material and allowing the workshop's impact to reach far beyond the borders of Butre.

A huge thank you to our Earth Artisans and Teachers, who generously shared their knowledge, skills, and experience: Joseph Enyarko, Bright Sowolo Kamasa, Janet Apewu, Solomon Yankee, Wisdom Kobena Gawuku.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! To the students from KNUST and all the earth-building enthusiasts who made this workshop such a memorable experience. Earth shapes community.