David Álvarez de Lara

Cobblestone pavements, Dry stone, Extraction of clay, Furnaces and kilns, Lime or gypsum finishings, Lime or gypsum paving, Lime painting, Masonry, Obtention of reeds and vegetable fibres, Rammed earth and adobe walls, Rubble masonry walls, Sgraffiti, Stone, ceramic or other types of flooring, Stuccoes, Wooden horizontal structures, Wooden planking and other wooden floorings, Wooden roof structures

NAME

ADDRESS:

Venda Monestir 4.987- 07872 El Pilar, Formentera

Website

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK

David Álvarez de Lara is a craftsman specialized in stone construction and a master builder in traditional building. From the knowledge of the traditional technique, enriched with self-taught experience and with the adhesion of new workers with similar interests, David established the Pedra Viva traditional construction team.

Pedra Viva strongly believes in the value of the knowledge they have acquired, which they keep alive through their professional activity. They offer a way of working which is aware of the value of what has been inherited, and they also dedicate part of their time to the transmission of their knowledge to others.

This knowledge has enabled them to build houses with natural materials: stone, soils rich in clay, sand and lime, just as it has been done for many generations, an artisanal work which is long-lasting and carried out by hand. They elaborate horizontal structures and other wooden structures (with natural added treatments), as well as light and breathable roof structures. Lime is present in the insulation of roofs, in the placing of tiles, in the construction of flooring and in the renders and finishes, such as traditional stucco. By applying lime, they obtain clean and elegant finishes which increase the quality of the interior air and protect the exterior of the walls.

They also carry out works using dry stone as a structural element. The origin of this craft goes back to the relationship of humans with the cultivating of fields, where meeting their basic needs led to the planning of the territory. This type of elements are shaped essentially by building two parallel lines with the larger stones, placed against each other, and an interior filling made of smaller stones, all placed with the aim of creating a structure which as a whole works as a solid, stable and flexible structure. The same technical basis is used for the construction of terraces (but with one single line of stone), shepherd’s huts, pens for animals and other rural constructions, mainly related with the cultivation of fields. The application of this technique has also enabled them to carry out many constructions in a traditional way: walls in the countryside, pens for animals, wood ovens, and also the construction of houses. In the building of houses, the construction with stone is combined with soil and lime to increase their stability and the insulating capacity of the walls.

To carry out the construction and restoration of old houses they also gather different types of knowledge regarding construction with wood, wattle, roofing, flooring or lime stuccoes, among other works.

APPRENTICESHIP

David started his training in construction techniques with dry stone at a very young age, since his family – on his father’s side – dedicated their life to it. They had learnt all about it through the elder members of the island of Formentera. These experts integrated these techniques as a harmonious and balanced way of living with the available resources on the island. Aiming to broaden his knowledge, David travelled through different areas of the Balearic Islands, Aragón, Catalonia and other regions of the eastern coast of the peninsula, carrying out a process of retrieval and consolidation of different artisanal techniques aided by many masters who were the perfect complement to his training.

TEACHING

David founded a training school called Masico Aguilar. It is dedicated to the dissemination of information and the transmission of knowledge regarding the craft where new workers have been trained. It does so both at a national and international level.