Past: The Aqua Show Room - Natural Plastering and Earthen Sculpting -Trinidad

We created a custom display room for tropical fish using natural building techniques for Tropical Fish in Freeport, Trinidad, in collaboration with students from our 2024 Earth Building Immersion program. This project demonstrates a thoughtful integration of conventional construction methods with traditional natural building techniques. By combining industry-made materials with natural, breathable finishes, the structure benefits from both modern efficiency and time-tested ecological practice. In this immersive project, we blend both building methods with artistic expression to create a healthy, breathable, and visually dynamic space inspired by water and marine life.

The lower walls were constructed with conventional red hollow clay bricks for durability and ease of construction then finished with a natural lime plaster made from lime, sand, and mineral pigments. This system was chosen to perform well in the high-moisture tropical environment while maintaining vapor permeability and a healthy indoor atmosphere. The final finish features a watery blue tone, complete with two-dimensional relief wave sculptures on both the interior and exterior walls.

The upper walls were built using traditional wattle and daub techniques to take advantage of the earth’s natural insulating, sculptural, and aesthetic qualities. A recycled wire framework forms the internal skeleton, infilled with cob applied in two phases:
• A first layer with long fibers for strength and tensile support
• A second layer with short fibers to create a dense, compacted, and durable wall system

Strategically placed glass bottles were incorporated into the walls to allow natural light to enter, creating a stained-glass effect. These bottles also serve as armatures for sculpted marine life reliefs, including tropical inspired fishes and freshwater stingrays, bringing the walls to life. The sculpting mix was made using clay, sand, and fine sawdust to allow for detailed, expressive forms.

By having all interactive and visible surfaces finished in natural lime and earth plasters, we created a unified, healthy interior and exterior environment while allowing the building to breathe. The Aqua Show Room demonstrates how earth-building can successfully merge artistry, functionality, and sustainability into a cohesive, resilient, and inspiring environment.

This hybrid approach allows each material and technique to be used where it performs best, resulting in a building that is both practical and deeply connected to traditional earth-building wisdom.

This project was done at Wa Samaki Ecosystems in Freeport, Trinidad. It's viewable to the public :)