About Us - Solid Earth

I am an earth building artisan with 32 years experience in the construction of earth buildings. I first fell in love with natural building as a teen on student exchange. Because of the lack of formal training opportunities in this field at the time, I decided to pursue formal education in architecture as well as building biology and ecology, while gaining practical skills by volunteering on earth building sites in Europe, and working for a natural materials merchant in Germany for a while.

In 2002 I took on the Nelson based adobe manufacture Solid Earth and have since built this up to be one of the leading natural construction providers in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2006 I designed and built our own 2-storey hybrid earth and timber eco-home. I have to date completed well over 200 building projects, big and small. Working with my hands instead of carrying out desk-based design work is a lifestyle choice for me.

From 2007-2014 I was the chairwoman of the Earth Building Association NZ. In 2017 I was honoured to receive the Tradeswoman of the Year Award by the National Association of Women in Construction. I am currently part of the committee in charge of the revision of the NZ Earth Building Standards, and have contributed to the innovation of low-density Adobe, which is now part of the code.

For the past 20 years I have enjoyed teaching and sharing my extensive practical knowledge with students in NZ and abroad, and am now very excited to take my teaching work online to reach a wider audience. I take a holistic approach to building and teaching, acknowledging that the health of our bodies and the body of the Earth are intimately connected.

I learned about earth building 17 years ago when I met Verena, and to this day am struck by the beauty and substance of this type of construction. Before joining Solid Earth, I have worked both as a landscaper and a carpenter for many years, here in NZ and overseas.

I am a creative person with attention to quality and detail. I love the flexibility of earth building and how it can be organic as well as very modern in its style. I feel excited by the creative potential of natural building materials and love working with earth, stone, timber, lime and straw.

The focus of my work is on producing high-quality, healthy building products and finishes, that are made from locally sourced materials and have a low carbon footprint. I also enjoy leading the team on site and making sure everyone is looked after and happy.

Earth building comes naturally to me because it is a bit like cooking, and I am an awesome cook who never follows a recipe and likes experimenting.

Verena and I are a great team and our individual strengths compliment each other beautifully. I bring a strong and steady quality to our work and am stepping into heart-centred leadership in the business.