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Benefits of Clay Plaster

Clay Plaster is an ubiquitous material. It is a type of plaster which uses clay, along with natural fibres as its binding element. These natural fibres include: sand, straw, wheat paste, lime, clay, pigment and water. Clay has natural earthy tones, so people who use it, often in their homes, don’t treat or paint it. Clay is in ample supply all around the world and is known as one of the most sustainable materials, it doesn’t need to travel far to get to its intended customer often and it doesn’t require baked or hardening, so it doesn’t release emissions into the atmosphere through manufacturing. The lime in clay plaster means that it doesn’t need superheating to be made, which means it has a much smaller carbon footprint. The only greenhouse gases emitted in the whole process is transporting it from place to place.

A great example of this is Snøhetta, who designed Aseop, the skincare brand, in Duke of York Square. It’s predominantly made up of Clay Plaster, with a central column that has arches coming out from the base of it, stretching all the way to the walls. 


Clay is extremely versatile it has a good: structure, acoustics, thermal qualities and aesthetic qualities. It is very environmentally friendly, and healthier to have in the home, rather than chemically filled paint and treatments. Clay ‘breathes’, it absorbs excess moisture from the air in the room and then releases it as the air dries too much, it moisture buffers at a humidity of 40-60%. Furthermore, it is excellent at keeping virus’, bacteria and dust mites away, which in turn can help respiratory issues like asthma.

To conclude, this material proves the circular system whereby us as humans and the heavily industrialised way that we live is still linked to the softest subtlest parts of natural. We are wholly connected, there is no stark dualism.

 

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