Meet Lisa Morey

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Morey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.

Lisa , so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Being the only one in the room that look like you – isn’t that something perhaps we’ve all experienced? And if not, lucky are those who can acknowledge what this feels like and can draw upon the depths of our collective connectiveness. My personal experiences in this realm include studying abroad in England and understanding I’m the one with a funny accent; traveling to Africa and standing out as a white skinned person; living in New Zealand and having others be curious about what’s it like to live in America; and of course being a female in a male-dominated industry.
The backbone of my work is based inherently on humble building material that is often the unusual suspect in the room. Earthen construction has a depth and breadth of practice globally but is often misunderstood due to being dominanted by major industry manufacturers in construction. However there is a place and application for a variety of building modalities – and the people that promote them.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Promoting earthen construction in North America has been one of the most challenging and inspiring experiences of my life. Some things are instant loves, like the first sight of your child, or the ocean, and they become life anchors that you couldn’t let go of even if you tried. The pursuit and practice of earthen construction has been like this for me, a love that comes with purpose and drive. The thrilling part of owning and operating an earth block company is opening new possibilities for people. This opportunity reveals things that had not been seen or considered before and shows why a shift towards earthen masonry should occur. In addition, there is pride in knowing that the block walls will be standing for hundreds or even thousands of years, as can be seen in historical earthen structures around the world.
I was introduced to adobe in New Zealand, the country that has produced the most comprehensive and detailed earthen construction code in the world, and where I initially practiced designing and building homes out of “mud bricks”. I am now designing, manufacturing and constructing EcoBlox, a lime-stabilized compressed earth block in Brighton, Colorado. We acquire material from a local quarry, and place it directly into our manufacturing equipment. My hope and work is for earthen construction to be recognized and utilized as credible building material for those applications and projects it best fits. The humble earthen block serves both as a tie to our past, and a better future that uses innovation, building science,intuition and common sense to guide us on a path beyond conventions of traditional building methods.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping to be part of the building industry change.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Curosity, appreciation of nature and science, Ability to collaborate

We all have passions, interests, and skills that are uniquely ours. It’s helpful to know these attributes about yourself, so that you can identify gaps that exist in your skillsets. Collaboration and working with others who are skillful in the areas we lack in help in creating solutions.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am currently seeking help with marketing, sales, and financial forecasting to support the growth and scalability of EcoBlox and low-embodied carbon building materials. A background in construciton, architectural design, and/or finance would be helpful as we approach architects to discover what materials they use, why, and the issues surrounding them. To learn more please contact [email protected]

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Image Credits

Credit to Elizabeth Hurtado for the “4-Rebeschini under construction image”

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