The earth is a building material that man has been using for millennia and in virtually every region of the world. The Livradois-Forez is recognized by specialists for the exceptional quality of its architectural heritage in adobe. Its earthen houses are part of our landscape and constitute a strong element of the identity of the Livradois-Forez.
The adobe was put aside with the arrival on the market of its close cousin concrete and the industrialization of building materials in the 1950s. Over the decades, this adobe heritage has been degraded by inappropriate maintenance, restoration or rehabilitation practices.
The trivialization of architecture and the standardization of materials threaten the identity of our territory. The inhabitants of Livradois-Forez, the craftsmen and the communities are today taking a fresh look at the adobe for its ecological, economic, social and cultural assets that meet most of the new challenges of construction. New implementation techniques reduce costs and meet the most demanding technical and thermal requirements.