“Wellerbau”: This is a historical earth building technique similar to cob-walling which is ideal for ‘self building’. The wet earth is mixed with straw and applied to the wall in layers. Each layer is approximately 50-70 cm high, and after a couple of days drying, it is trimmed on the sides with a sharp spade to obtain a regular flat wall surface. After a second drying period, a further layer can be added. The earth in this region is well-suited for such construction and the stability of the mixture was improved by adding rice, straw and jute. Earth construction: The most important technical improvement in comparison to traditional buildings is the introduction of a damp proof course and a brick foundation. The traditional building technique (which uses very wet earth) has been replaced by the “Weller” technique that is quite similar to the traditional one.