Backyard Music Studio
Private Client - San Diego, CA
MudWorks Natural Building designed and built this earthen studio in collaboration with the homeowner. It features straw insulation, thick clay plaster with various finishes, an earthen floor, and an exterior sculpture. The space was designed with acoustic insulation in mind, and it is used as a small music studio with a full drum kit.
Project Contributors
- Design & Build: MudWorks Natural Building
- Core Collaborator: Erin E.B.
- Sculptural Design: MudWorks Natural Building
- Workshop Facilitation: Autumn Flower Creek
- Photography: Autumn Flower Creek
Project Details & Specs
This small dwelling is built with split-stud framing—a technique that reduces sound transmission by minimizing wood bridging through the walls.
The framing is covered with wood lath, milled on-site, which serves as a substrate for the thick earthen plasters, also mixed and applied by hand on-site.
The earthen floor is made from the same materials as the walls—clay, sand, and straw—tightly compacted and sealed with linseed oil for stability and long-term durability.
Inside, two clay plasters are featured. One is a site-mixed red clay with exposed straw, offering a warm, rustic feel. This is juxtaposed with Gold Hill Clay Plaster: Zenith, showcasing a modern and refined finish as another possibility for clay walls.