We can effectively answer the question of whether terracotta is an impossibly expensive material in modern buildings today by looking at clay roof tiles, which use very similar techniques and materials in manufacturing and of similar labor intensity (within a degree of course, don't shoot me if your specific personal experience was off by a little more). In Japan terracotta is traditionally manufactured in Gifu Prefecture, and kawara (roof tiles) are manufactured just to the south of Gifu, in Aichi Prefecture (Nagoya!). Kawara and terracotta is also similar in that up to 80% of the pieces are uniform, 20% are variations (ridge or eave tiles etc.) and there is a lively market in larger custom pieces, heraldic signs, etc. Kawara is 2-3 times as expensive as the cheapest alternative, asphalt shingles. But again kawara can be manufactured 100% by renewable energy and materials, at any scale from tiny local one man operation to huge automated factories. Asphalt shingles, not so much. The cost savings of using kawara (or terracotta) is in the long run. After 25 years it is on par with many other materials and after 50 it is as cheap as any other material and at 100 years it outperforms all other materials from a cost perspective. It is also relatively easy to maintain if slightly damaged, like asphalt shingles, and unlike metal roofs. Kawara or terracotta roofs maintain value or resell better due to its aesthetic values. Worldwide, a house with a history adds 1-5% to its price, and a beautiful house will add 7-15% in value. In this sense, an aesthetic investment in cladding or roofing will give huge dividends for the building as a whole. You can also dismantle kawara and rebuild it somewhere else, which is nearly impossible with metal roofs or asphalt shingles. We can expect that beautiful terracotta would be of the same cost situation. So are you building for the quarterly earnings report and the landfill, or are you building for your grandchildren and your community?
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