These resilient, rammed-earth homes show the soil’s true stripes.
A true expression of the landscape they rest on, rammed-earth homes are constructed of compacted soil molded in plywood forms. A robust and energy-efficient material, rammed earth also has a striking, striated appearance, taking on natural color variations. The residences below demonstrate how the impressive building technique has been adapted to environments all over the world.
A Sustainable Rammed-Earth Home in New Mexico
In the harsh climate of New Mexico, Studio eM Design created a rammed-earth home in Corrales, New Mexico, that updates the regional adobe archetype.
Kirk Gittings
A Portuguese Home Fused to the Environment With Rammed Earth
Asked to find an ecologically sustainable building solution, architecture firm blaanc turned to a vernacular building technique that still thrives in certain pockets of rural Portugal: rammed-earth construction.
Photo: João Morgado
An Off-Grid Rammed-Earth Home in the Colorado Plateau
Architect Hank Louis worked with Navajo tribe elders to secure a 66-year lease on a half-acre lot in the middle of Bluf, Utah, for Rosie Joe and her children. The facade of their off-the-grid house is made up of exposed wood, red rammed earth, and glass.
Daniel Hennessy
See the full story on Dwell.com: 11 Glorious Rammed-Earth Homes That Celebrate the Landscape
