Raw Clay Plaster
Ecological / Economic / Social
The earth plaster work at Ashraya was devised and led by traditional plaster craft specialist
Rebecca Reid. The materials palette and earth plaster design was developed in collaboration
with William Stanwix at HG Matthews. Rebecca was assisted in the work by Anna Castilla Vila
and Jamie Ingle.
Clay, wood ash, sand and chalk are combined in different ways throughout the building. The
dark toned, ash surfaces are finely finished to reflect light. Overhead the raw earth offers a
softer acoustic. Light toned, chalk plasters screen the private spaces.
Ash plasters - Clay, wood ash, sand and wheat straw.
In the living area the earth walls are finely finished with layers of clay and ash, polished by hand
with a stone. Linseed oil worked into the drying surface gives a rich depth to the plaster by
revealing shadow effects from the backing layers. Overhead the raw ash finish makes a feature
of scratched marks made to close the drying surface.
In the guest rooms flecks of sand remain distinct in the lightly burnished surface. Overhead, the
floated surface is textured with the light scratch of natural flint inclusions.
Chalk plasters - Clay, chalk and wheat straw.
On the first floor, background layers of Arakabe style daub, each the thickness of a straw,
creates a lightweight flexible plaster. At the surface thin layers of clay and chalk are overlaid like
the warp and weft of woven material.