About Lartierra and it's founder Pavel Pakuza

I was born and raised in the northeast of the Czech Republic.  As a child I was fascinated by nature and especially by the possibilities that clay and mud offered. Adding water to clay made it malleable and lent infinite moulding possibilities. Once dry, the piece expressed a natural beauty and sturdiness, which didn’t have to be permanent. Till then I wanted to make something else of it I could always add water and mould it into something completely different.

After finishing school and a couple of years of working, I decided to travel through Europe to see different cultures and traditions. My journey brought me to the Netherlands. There I had some experiences with clay and tadelakt and in the year 2007 I began the small business Lartierra, which is specialized in using these materials. I felt that I’d like to focus on working with and knowledge of natural, human friendly and ecological materials incorporated with house designs.

Vision  

My focus is on working with natural, eco friendly and sustainable materials and incorporating these into the design of the house. I am interested in sustainable living, with minimal impact on nature. I enjoy working with clay because it can be infinitely reused; it has an infinite life span, amazing shaping possibilities, natural beauty and a positive effect on inhabitants of the space.

In our modern world, non-sustainable building materials are often chosen due to the pressures of time and money. By using more traditional materials provided by nature I am endeavoring to create a healthier living space with ecological considerations at the forefront.  

Thanks to Amel Kadic (E-art-h), my first mentor in this craft, I have gained great insight and experience about the application and use of these materials. Thanks to Carl Giskes, founder of Tierrafino, and other suppliers I have ready access to these materials. Often I collaborated with other companies, both here and abroad, however, at present my work is mainly focused in the Netherlands.