Rammed Earth

I fell in love with Rammed earth in 2008 at the Auroville earth Institute, UNESCO Chair for Earthen Architecture, Asia. Our relationship deepened into a beautiful romance over the next years as I slowly got to understand her.  I had to present her to my parents to build their house with rammed earth. Looking at our deep relationship while building the first few test walls on their house, my parents approved our marriage. I later went on to build with her over 4 residential projects in the next years in India. One of them going on to win Indian Architect & Builders Young Architects Award in 2014.  

I then traveled to Canada, at McGill University where I explored the methods of diffusion of Rammed earth and wrote a research paper on her greatest ex lover, François Cointeraux (1740-1830). He had dedicated a full life to Rammed earth, dedicating 4 books and various construction to her. I mainly focused on how he and other romantics before and after him taught / diffused Rammed earth. I traveled to learn from experts around the world, India, USA and Canada. I started travelling mainly to know her whereabouts: bringing me to Mexico in 2014 to look at the project of Mauricio Rocha (School of plastic arts, Oaxaca).

I taught and Bioclimatic design at ITESM, Queretaro and Passive design at the masters program at the Autonoma de Queretaro. We have done several workshops and experiments on rammed earth, calculating shrinkage and hyderothermal properties of rammed earth. 

However, our relationship has since lost its strength, mainly because she has chosen lovers of the current age that are only appreciating her for her spectacular looks.  I have been a consultant to various architects and builders in Mexico and have organized several workshops on the same. This workshop is a personal attempt to rekindle our relationship and share my romance you all. It has taken me more than a year to prepare for this new encounter.

Below is a series of topics that I talk and teach. My talk in history of monolithic construction is very much sought after, as it presents a unique cross section of the construction method.

Theory

History of Monolithic construction, aspects of design.

History of rammed earth

Types of formworks and its relation to built form

Structural design

Rammed earth foundations

Details of joints with various materials and components

Thermal properties, density and thickness selection

Hygroscopic properties and humidity buffering potential

Costs and time

Codes of practice and normativity

Soil identification methods

Soil stabilization methods

Selection of materials

Texture, porosity and durability

Design of mixes – use of additives

Designs and fabrication of modern formworks

Fabrication of rammers

Organization of site

Curing of rammed earth, precautions

Errors and learnings from personal and shared experiences

Rectification and maintenance 

Design guidelines