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Clay is a simple word for a very complex material. Perhaps one of the first thoughts that comes to mind are dishes and bowls for eating on, terracotta pots for putting plants in, and most importantly, mugs for drinking coffee. If you happen to work drilling holes searching for mineral and other resources you might know how clay is essential to the process as it carries particles up away from the bit, all the while providing lubrication that reduces heat and friction at the same time it speeds along the process.
Perhaps a largely overlooked yet widespread use is as a raw material forming the basis of many building techniques around the world, from adobe homes in the Southwestern United States to cob homes throughout the British Isles. Clay has been formed into bricks and fired for building blocks throughout history and that tradition continues in contemporary construction. As architectural terracotta it can take on utilitarian functions such as pipes for drains or it can show off its artistic potential in elaborate forms to decorate our building façades. All of this variety is contained within a material represented by a single word: Clay. And yet what is it that allowed this humble material to be utilized for so many distinct functions and elaborated into so many different forms? When the material is looked at closely, a very diverse world opens before us.