10 April – 10 October 2019 ~ Weimar, Germany

LEHM 2020 – Call for Papers

The Dachverband Lehm e.V. (DVL) is the German Association for Building with Earth. Every four years the DVL organises an international conference on building with earth in a different earth building region in Germany. After the conferences in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, the LEHM 2020 is the eighth such event organised by the DVL. Each of these events has attracted several hundred participants from around the world.

The DVL is pleased to announce that the LEHM 2020, the 8th international conference on building with earth, will take place from the 30 October – 1 November 2020 in Weimar, the cradle of German Classicism, birthplace of the Bauhaus and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

From 5 - 7 November 2020, shortly after the LEHM 2020, is the denkmal 2020 European Trade Fair for Conservation, Renovation and Restoration in Leipzig, which includes a specialist section on earth building. The LEHM 2020 has been timed so that conference visitors can combine their trip with a visit to the trade fair where they can see the most recent developments in the field of earth building first-hand.

The LEHM 2020 includes the Earth Building Conference with presentations and an accompanying poster session and excursions.

As part of the LEHM 2020, an DVL Earth Building Prize 2020 will be awarded that recognises outstanding academic theses from authors in the field of earth building (to be announced separately by the Dachverband Lehm e.  V.).

Call for Papers

The Dachverband Lehm e.V. extends an open invitation to all interested professional colleagues to submit thematic relevant contributions and papers for the LEHM 2020 conference as well as for a poster session which will be exhibited parallel to the conference. The theme of the conference programme will include the following subject areas:

  1. Earth building norms and regulations
  2. Current research into building with earth
  3. Earth building education
  4. Sustainability in earth building
  5. Modern earthen building
  6. Earth building in renovation

Candidates wishing to present a paper or poster at the conference should submit a short overview (abstract) of not more than 500 words with title and name of the author. Submissions can be in German or English. On a separate sheet please provide us with your name and full contact details (address, company / organisation, tel / fax, email etc.) as well as a short description of your involvement in building with earth.

Please send your abstract(s) to the following address by 10 October 2019:

Subject: LEHM 2020 Abstractdvl@dachverband-lehm.de

Contributions for a 20 minute oral presentation at the conference and for the poster session will be selected by a scientific committee on the basis of the abstracts submitted. All contributions will be published in the conference proceedings. Contributors will therefore be requested to provide us with the full text of their presentation including figures, tables and illustrations. Please note that contributing authors will need to register for the conference. In preparation for the conference and the proceedings, contributors are requested to observe the deadlines given on the right. We regret that it may not be possible to include late contributions in the conference proceedings.

Dates and deadlines

  • 10 October 2019 Closing date for submissions of abstracts for papers or posters. Submissions may be in English or German.
  • 1 March 2020 The authors of the selected contributions will be informed that their contribution for a paper or poster has been accepted. Author guidelines will be provided.
  • 1 July 2020 Closing date for full submissions of the selected papers / posters in German or English.
  • 30-31 October 2020 Oral presentation / poster session at the LEHM 2020.

Conference languages

German and English (simultaneous interpretation).

An info-point will be available in the registration and entrance area with an internet workstation, a book sales desk and space for participants to distribute flyers.

Event Homepage