José Antonio Ruiz Ruiz is a cave builder with over 30 years’ experience in the refurbishment and building of cave dwellings.

He entered the trade by chance, realising the many benefits of cave-dwelling through living in a cave himself, and prompted by that experience he began… learning the trade by building a cave of his own. He acquired more know-how by working with another cave-maker. Passionate about his trade, he has transformed cave-making practice.

He works largely in the region of Guadix (Granada province). Most of his projects are refurbishments, but he has also made new caves.

His work process, for making caves or for joining them up, involves the use of tools such as a pneumatic drill for initial removal of materials and a pickaxe for finishing, leaving a bare clay pico visto surface. On occasion he uses materials such as lime for finishes, always ensuring that the cave’s integrity remains intact. As each cave is unique, his approach is oriented to safety and utility.

The properties of caves make them highly comfortable environments, maintaining a constant temperature between 18°C and 22°C and accordingly saving energy in areas with extreme temperatures and involving benefits in terms of health and sound insulation.

José Antonio believes that a standardisation of the materials for use in this kind of work is required, as currently there is a proliferation of misleading advertising and deficient practices resulting in a waste of local resources.