The design collective Krater, in dialogue with Atelier LUMA and BC Materials, has researched rammed earth architecture and locally sourced building materials to create a teahouse that is situated on the crater-like construction site in the heart of Ljubljana occupied by Krater.

In response to the ongoing climate crisis and biodiversity loss, Krater’s team members joined forces with cutting edge practitioners from Atelier Luma and BC Materials to pose an important question: How could Krater become a landscape-based forum to discuss the accessibility of sustainable materials in Slovenia?

Materials such as clay, wood or straw bales are either imported from abroad or used in construction illegally. The rich resources of an urban site enabled material experimentation with wild clay, invasive plants and gravel as construction materials for building a site-specific rammed earth pavilion for BIO27. The new space will host a series of public talks with practitioners and decision-makers, who will all be served herbal tea in wild clay vessels sourced from the urban site. Discussing the legal, social and ecological implications of designing with local materials will hopefully support a fresh start in making these forbidden practices part of the vernacular again.