About Äerdschëff
Creating a place.
Creating together.
A building for experimentation.
An association for learning and acting together.
possibilities to create.
A living place, a committed association, a future in the making
An Äerdschëff is a public bioclimatic building inspired by Earthships: it combines reused materials (tyres, local earth), rainwater harvesting, solar autonomy and natural insulation to provide an almost self-sufficient place for learning. Built as a laboratory for the low-tech approach, it is the first public building of its kind in the world.
Äerdschëff asbl works towards ecological transformation through courses, workshops and projects on energy sufficiency, permaculture and sustainable technologies, with a strong emphasis on lifelong learning and shared governance.
Our story
Project timeline
Phase 1. From a utopian idea to an initial design (2014–2018)
It all began in the mid-2010s, when sustainable construction remained a blind spot in Luxembourg’s ecological transition. Inspired by the concept of Earthships , self-sufficient homes made from reused materials, a small group of citizens dreamed of building a resilient place that challenged prevailing models. In 2014, an initial idea was proposed through the European LEADERprogramme, then developed further through specialist training at theEarthship Academy in New Mexico. The project quickly gained credibility and support from public partners, including the Ministry of the Environment and theŒuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.
Phase 2. An extraordinary collaborative construction project (2019–2022)
Launched in summer 2019 in Redange-sur-Attert, construction of Äerdschëff became a symbol of collective commitment and learning by doing. More than 50 volunteers from Luxembourg and across Europe helped build it, largely using reused materials: tyres, raw earth, local timber and glass bottles. Despite obstacles involving regulations, the pandemic and the weather, work progressed step by step in an open, inclusive learning environment. Alongside construction, the team developed the educational foundations of Äerdschëff as a future place for learning.
Phase 3. An open, living place that keeps evolving (since 2023)
Since opening, Äerdschëff has become a centre for education, training and collective action towards ecological transformation. It hosts visits, workshops, courses and community work sessions on permaculture, shared governance, low-tech and sustainable technologies. The site is designed as a living laboratory, where practical solutions are tested and passed on, while lessons are documented to share more widely. Today, Äerdschëff asbl continues to evolve with the people involved and the challenges of our time.
Our mission
The Low Tech Punk vision
A Low Tech Punk vision for a sustainable future: resource-conscious, fair and creative.
Our vision is deeply rooted in simplicity, justice and autonomy. Inspired by the Low Tech Punk movement, our approach proposes a joyful, radical change of direction that challenges obsolescence and overconsumption.
Low Tech Punk is the art of doing better with less. A philosophy that values repair over disposability, and local autonomy over global dependence. It invites us to devise resource-conscious, accessible and durable solutions using what we already have, in response to communities’ practical needs.
This vision shapes our technical and educational choices and the way we design the place, its objects and their uses. Here, low-tech is grassroots innovation serving the common good.
Low Tech Punk also stands for an inclusive society based on solidarity, where everyone belongs. A future in which collective wisdom and shared ingenuity rebuild our relationship with the Earth, as its caretakers rather than its masters.
Our vision
Our mission
Educate, mobilise, transform
Äerdschëff asbl works towards a fair, resource-conscious and collective ecological transition.
We share practical skills, test sustainable alternatives and create learning spaces open to everyone.
Through our courses, workshops and collaborative work sessions, we support people who want to adopt more circular ways of living, understand climate and social issues, and develop ecological autonomy. Every action counts; every skill shared contributes to transformation.
But learning alone is not enough: we encourage civic action. Äerdschëff is also a place for co-creation, where we develop local resilience projects together, from community composting to low-tech infrastructure, in partnership with schools, municipalities, associations and volunteers. Working together with the community is what makes transformation possible.
Our aims
Our commitments
We do more than talk about transition: we put it into practice every day through our technical, educational and human choices.
Our building is made from reused materials. Our workshops emphasise collaborative learning and sharing practical skills. We document our projects to make them accessible to everyone. We practise shared governance. And we are committed to welcoming everyone with respect, care and openness.
Sufficiency, accessibility, autonomy and solidarity guide our daily work. These are not slogans, but principles that we adapt, refine and test against reality.
The people who bring this place to life
The team
Jérôme Leplang
Jérôme looks after Äerdschëff’s indoor and outdoor gardens, applying his organisational skills and technical creativity. A meticulous and versatile logistics coordinator, he explores practical solutions to ensure projects run smoothly. Curious and always learning, he contributes actively to a range of initiatives, bringing energy and a passion for experimentation to every task.
Roles:
- Permaculture garden / Food forest
- Collaborative work sessions
- Logistics
Tarik Bouriachi
Tarik is a sociologist and educator specialising in ecological and social resilience. With a keen analytical perspective, he develops strategic partnerships and supports innovative approaches. Passionate about shared governance and low-tech approaches in unexpected settings, including artificial intelligence, he helps connect research, experimentation and civic action.
Roles:
- Design and delivery of projects and educational programmes
- Lead for shared governance and software infrastructure
- Administration and finance lead
- Non-formal education
- Partnerships
- Fundraising
Vincent Tam
Vincent is responsible for impact-focused marketing and communication at Äerdschëff. Drawing on experience in entrepreneurship, education and sustainable development, he uses his creativity and strategic perspective to raise the visibility of projects. His role is to showcase the association’s initiatives and the people behind them, strengthening their local roots and public reach.
Roles:
- Marketing
- Communication
The people who bring this place to life
Our board
Dr Katy Fox
Katy is a social anthropologist, educator and researcher. A co-founder of the Äerdschëff project in 2014, she helped develop it from its earliest stages, co-designing the building with architects and authorities, creating the first educational programmes and establishing partnerships with schools, associations and institutions. Now a board member, she continues to contribute her strategic vision and experience of collective dynamics to strengthen ecological and social resilience.
Sam Reifer
Sam is committed to regenerating natural systems, of which we are an integral part. With his wife, he practises regenerative agriculture on their small family farm while raising their three young children. His experience informs an approach rooted in living systems and passing on knowledge, closely aligned with Äerdschëff’s values.
François Ramaekers
François is a teacher and former journalist who has been involved for many years in projects focused on global citizenship education and sustainable development. His vocational journey took him from Luxembourg to Brazil, where, with the association ABRAM, he develops projects bringing together young people, local communities and Indigenous peoples through permaculture, agroecology and ecological construction. Convinced that lasting change depends as much on experience as on sharing knowledge, he advocates an educational approach based on engagement and doing things together. He joins the Äerdschëff board with a desire to contribute to this ecological, educational and human transition.
Photographs and illustrations: © Äerdschëff asbl.
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