More about us:
Davide Frasca
obtained a Bachelor degree in building engineering at the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture
(Architecture, Energy and Sustainability) at the London Metropolitan University, UK. In his master thesis he explored how earth architecture
could be a solution for obtaining affordable and sustainable houses.
After graduation he took part in the construction of earth houses in Spain and
Portugal and participated in various workshops on earth plastering in Italy. In 2012 he followed a course at the Auroville Earth Institute in India where he
learned how to build and design arches, domes and vaults using compressed earth bricks. In 2013 he participated in a 3 months apprenticeship
program at the Cal-Earth Institute (California) where he learned how to build earth domes using the superadobe technique. This was followed by 2
more months in 2014 during which he specialized in earth vault construction. In 2015 he spent a month in Wales to learn a traditional thatching technique
by assisting the master thatcher Alan Jones in the construction of a roof.
In 2015 he founded Vide Terra and he started to be a trainer of the
superadobe technique in Italy and abroad. Since 2017 he is the representative of the California Institute of Earth Architecture (Cal-Earth) in Italy, since
then he has been organizing and leading the official Cal-Earth workshops in Italy. In 2019 he participated in an internship focused on rammed earth
walls and earth floors under the guidance of architect Hanno Burtscher. Since 2022 he has been involved in construction of emergency/transitional
shelters in Iraqi Kurdistan in favour of the displaced community living in camps, and providing training to the displaced people.
Iwo Soczewka
is a visual artist who likes to explore the creative possibilities of earth material and finishes. She got a degree in Design for Performance at Central Saint Martins College in London. She works as a graphic designer, illustrator and in 2018 she joined Vide Terra as a workshop assistant and a builder.
