Svetlana Devyatkina
Czech Republic (residence) °1995
Research interests: earth architecture, wasted earth, waste utilization, optimization of construction processes, rammed earth.
Affiliation: UMPRUM
Svetlana Devyatkina gained experience in the world of architecture at various schools - the Liberec Faculty of Art and Architecture at TUL, during her internships at ENSA Nantes in France and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. In 2022 she graduated with the master’s degree at UMPRUM with her thesis Wasted earth under the supervision of Prof. Roman Brychta. During her work she delved into the topic of the transformation of the urban landscape due to construction activities. This work led her to the current research about usefulness of waste soil for architecture. She conducts her research at the Architecture Department at UMPRUM.
Waste earth as a resource for architecture
We live in a world in which we are dealing with climate change, the issue of limited natural resources and the human struggle to adapt to the new reality. To improve these conditions, we often try to be innovative and set ourselves the task of inventing new materials, processes, and technologies. In doing so, we sometimes neglect well-known materials and do not fully exploit the potential of available resources.
Millions of tonnes of soil excavated during construction works end up in landfill every year. Could we use this "waste" for construction purposes and relieve waste management? What are the challenges and specifics of incorporating waste earth into the construction industry? Can this material be applied on a city or state scale? How will the usage of such material affect the architecture practice?
