Lava Works was founded by Paul Schwam, Architect/Builder.  Paul started architecture with a lifelong enthusiasm for innovation.  At the University of Arizona, the freedom of design innovation within conventional architecture was highly supported by the teaching staff.  Upon graduation, Schwam’s interests continued toward non-conventional architecture including geodesics and scoria.

In the early eighties, University of Arizona professor Al Miller (partner to R. Buckminster Fuller) and Paul Schwam, among others, co-founded World Geodesics with R. Buckminster Fuller as an advisor and investor.  Al Miller was a pragmatic interpreter of R.B. Fuller’s vision, both in geodesics (which, at its core, is the study of nature) and “doing more with less”.  Al was a grounding force translating this vision into everyday usefulness.

This combined design philosophy set Paul upon a lifetime design track of innovative and available sustainability.  In turn, that mindset began to benefit volcanic architecture efforts in the mid-nineties.  This focus grew out of an association with Rand Ewers, a University of Arizona architecture classmate, whose father Rolo had been building with volcanic materials called scoria in innovative boutique ways in New Mexico.

These relationships and experiences in the following years brought Lava Concrete, a new class of concrete, to the point it is now — a building material more suitable to architecture and deliberately formulated to respond to health and environmental concerns, financial concerns, and natural resource opportunities of our time.

The Lava Works objective is to develop the technology needed to move volcanic materials into mainstream eco-friendly building solutions.  Lava Works equipment, techniques, and design/engineering have been maturing over the past thirty years under Paul’s guidance, with over 25 homes and structures completed to date.  A measured building pace was followed to allow for machine and technique testing, as well as refining the engineering and process.  Credit is due to the many sustainability-minded architects, builders, tradesmen and owners who have added value along with way with design challenges, experience and contribution by way of ownership.

WIth the fundamental material processes and techniques largely complete, Paul’s path has focused on the evolution of Lava Works driven by innovative architecture design solutions improving ecological responsibility, natural energy capture/management, cost efficiency, and streamlining complete house processes.