Façade
Residential house in a wooded area of Kassel. The exterior walls were fitted with wood-fibre insulation and then finished with pure lime plaster.
Specialist in earthen construction and ecological renovation of old buildings.
Traditional craftsmanship, executed with modern reliability.
My name is Aron Erdmann Schunn. I am a certified earthen-building specialist, self-employed and specialising in sustainable building-in-existing-fabric with clay, lime and wood. Plastering, insulation, timber-frame restoration, mould remediation, fine finishes, and full renovation with material concept and site management.
Natural building materials regulate humidity, bind pollutants from indoor air, and insulate without sealing the building. Repairable, climate-friendly, and fully returnable to nature at the end of their use.
Residential buildings, timber-framed houses, listed monuments and demanding interior fit-outs, workshops and exhibitions in Kassel, Germany and internationally.
„Never demolish, never replace, always add, transform and reuse.“
Anne Lacaton & Jean-Philippe Vassal
Mould
Mould and moisture damage in a Kassel apartment. The mould infestation was caused by faulty external insulation, the moisture ingress by an unmaintained shower. Both required comprehensive renovation of the bathroom and kitchen. Anti-mould render, smooth lime finish and tadelakt were used. In the kitchen, the floor was insulated with perlite fill and covered with wooden floorboards. A complete beechwood kitchen was also designed and installed.
on site
Flood Damage
A timber-framed house in the Ahr Valley was severely damaged inside and out by the 2021 flood disaster. A complete renovation of the affected building fabric was carried out. Wood-fibre insulation was installed inside, all surfaces were finished with clay plaster and topped with a fine clay finish.
Fine Finishes
Tadelakt, marmorino, smooth lime finish, clay filler, and all fine clay and lime plasters. Custom mixes are also developed, matched in colour and aggregate to the room, substrate and design. Local resources can be incorporated on request.
Timber Framing
Various timber-frame renovations across Germany: energy-efficient renovations with wood-fibre insulation, repair and completion of timber-frame structures, and clay and lime plastering work on historic building fabric.
Clay Plaster
Various clay-plastering projects across Germany: from wall surfaces and corners with rounded reveals to custom surfaces and structural details in both historic and new buildings.
Teaching
In collaboration with the University of Kassel, a complete seminar concept was developed for architecture students, including the brief, supervision and delivery of a two-day practical workshop at the Department of Structural Design. The aim was direct hands-on contact with clay as a material, teaching the basics of analysing local clay, and the practical use of rammed earth.
Garden House
Conversion of a garden house. The building was first dismantled, materials were secured and sorted by type. The roof remained in place and was raised by 50 cm, with screw foundations set underneath. The house was then rebuilt using old and new materials and insulated with reed on the walls, floor and ceiling. Clay plaster and fine finishes follow inside.
Taiwan
A seven-month working stay in Taiwan with assignments at various locations. In the outdoor area of a kindergarten, a wall with peepholes for children was built from self-made clay bricks, produced together with the staff of the institution. At another site, an earthen-oven foundation was built with minimal technical means; the material was produced and prepared together with workshop participants. In Taipei, an apartment was finished with self-made lime plaster and natural aggregates such as tea. Fine-finish plastering work in the high-end interior fit-out of a high-rise followed. In parallel, guides for the industrial production of clay building materials were created, a rammed-earth workshop was developed for a local clay builder, and the local network was strengthened. The collaboration continues.
I am Aron Erdmann Schunn, self-employed and active in ecological building since 2018, certified as an earthen-building specialist by the Dachverband Lehm (German Clay Building Association).
Depending on the project, I work as a sole trader or as part of a team with other planners and craftspeople. Reliability, friendly communication, technical precision and an eye for detail are, to me, decisive for a successful building project. I put 100% love into every project, because material choice and building within the existing fabric are my contribution to a climate-positive building culture and a good life.
„Form Follows Love.“
Anna Heringer
Background
2013 graduate engineer, degree in Landscape Architecture and Landscape Planning, Department of Architecture, Urban and Landscape Planning, University of Kassel. Competitions and design work as a landscape architect. From 2018 self-employed as a subcontractor for various earthen-building companies. 2021 founded Erdhandwerk in Kassel (earthen-building company, now a natural building materials trade). 2022 certified earthen-building specialist and admitted to the Chamber of Skilled Crafts. Teaching assignments at the University of Kassel; 2024 founded the Freie Handwerkunion, FHU (informal regional network of craftspeople).
Competencies
- Clay, lime & fine plaster finishes
- Carpentry, masonry, furniture-making & wooden floors
- Planning & material concepts
- Complete renovations of existing buildings
- Site coordination, quality assurance & site management
- German (native), English (fluent), French & Chinese (basic)
- Rhino 3D, Vectorworks, ArchiCAD, QGIS, ArcGIS, Affinity Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, AI workflows & web design
Contact
Feel free to leave me your details and I'll get in touch for an initial conversation!