Rammed Earth Works

Sandstone Tile and Rammed Earth Contribute to This Exquisite Tasmanian Home With Breathtaking Views As showcased by news.com.au at http://bit.ly/2p0EQ7Q, a home which features sandstone tile and #RammedEarth in Boomer Bay, Tasmania utilizes breathtaking views and energy-efficiency to provide a low-maintenance and exquisite life to its owners. Only five minutes away from Marion Bay Beach, which is known for its atmosphere and "killer waves," views from Boomer Bay to Hellfire B...luff can be viewed from the master suite. However, beyond just the views, the property is appealing for its low-maintenance and energy-efficiency in part to the #RammedEarth walls and double-glazed windows that are incorporated throughout the home. To further augment taking in the scenic views, an open-plan family, dining and kitchen area offer no resistance for anyone's gaze and the Tasmanian oak flooring guides you out towards the balcony which the stacker doors do not inhibit from doing. No worries if you don't want to venture out onto the balcony, as the view can be enjoyed from the hardwood timber bench top and breakfast bar in the kitchen. With such a wonderful location and quality of designs, it is not any wonder why homes rarely go onto the market in this neighborhood, which is roughly only two per twelve-month period.

Estudio Cavernas and Orbe Architecture Team Up to Build the Min Tu Won School for Refugees and Migrants With Rammed Earth and Bamboo Serving as a center for education of a local community of Burmese and Karen refugees and migrants, the Min Tu Won School was constructed by Estudio Cavernas and #OrbeArchitecture according to Estudio Cavernas' philosophy of using low-tech constructive systems that can be built by a full spectrum of workers and materials reports designboom at htt...p://bit.ly/2wDydM9. Designed and constructed with involvement of the beneficiaries, INDA International Program in Design and Architecture, twenty students from the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok helped refine, document and build the project. The Min Tu Won School is a monolithic structure located near the Thai-Burma border that consists of two spaces framed by #RammedEarth walls that are draped over by a bamboo structure that allow for adaptable, multi-functional spaces for education. This bamboo wrapping acts as an environmental mediator that shields the interior from direct sunlight and rain, all while allowing fresh air to flow through. Skylights invite soft and natural light to flood the classrooms that house built-in wall benches, storage space and blackboards. All throughout the building, natural and locally-sourced materials are used that allow it to blend into its surroundings, which doubles as a symbol of how the school is now part of the community itself. The Min Tu Won School epitomizes an effective strategy to providing aid to communities without access to proper educational and financial resources. Use of #RammedEarth in the school and other similar projects provides an affordable building material that is visually appealing, has inherit thermal properties suited for almost any environment and whose construction techniques can be taught to almost anyone. We at Rammed Earth Works would like to thank Estudio Cavernas, #OrbeArchitecture and INDA International Program in Design and Architecture for all of their work to help create something this community will surely cherish and benefit from for many years to come!

Going Back to the Basics, Paraguayan Architect Firm Equipo de Arquitectura Build Their Own Rammed-Earth Office Utilizing the existing trees on the land and wanting to go back to the basics, innovative firm Equipo de Arquitectura has unveiled their own #RammedEarth office space, Caja de Tierra, reports Inhabitat at http://bit.ly/2MJO9qj. Setting out with the goal of connecting with the earth and focusing the design on embodying nature, as this concept began to take shape it wa...s decided that only three basic materials would be used - earth, wood and glass. The cube-like building was built on-site by the architects themselves; sieved soil aggregate from the site's preparation along with cement went into mold-like modules and further worked to create 30-cm-thick earthen blocks. When at the right consistency, these blocks were placed on one another to form the four walls of the new office. The finalized blocks contain red and orange tones that effortlessly blend into the natural surroundings and are contrasted by a large glass skylight that was cut into one of the corners of the wall. In addition to adding contrast, this skylight enables natural light to flood the interior, which also helps reduce energy usage. In true adherence to their design goals, all of the furniture and doors are constructed from reclaimed wood and the existing greenery were protected as much as was possible. Two of the existing trees are featured in the interior, with a flame tree being framed within an all-glass box that juts in and a guavirá tree commanding space right in the middle of the office. Equipo de Arquitectura shows that there is elegance, beauty and innovation in the basics that Caja de Tierra embodies.

Mother Nature Takes Center Stage in Ascaya's $9.5M Rammed Earth Home In the Henderson, Nevada neighborhood of Ascaya's Crystal Ridge luxury residential community, a $9.5 million home designed by San Antonio firm Lake|Flato Architects is the 4th completed "Inspiration" home reports Las Vegas Review-Journal at http://bit.ly/2MXUqeE. Las Vegas Review-Journal quotes Ascaya sales manager Darin Marques saying "There aren’t a lot of homes that look like this in the valley...That is ...what they wanted with the inspiration homes, something that was going to inspire clients to take it to the next level when it comes to architecture." Half of the 7,850-square-foot, single-level home wall's are comprised of 30-inch-thick #rammedearth that is roughly 13 feet tall. To create the walls, which were chosen for both its thermal qualities and to add "unique natural beauty," extensive testing and several mock-ups of the perfect mixture of 10 different local aggregates was conducted. The final mixture consists of 75% gold/tan hues, with the remaining 25% a deep red hue, with the goal of avoiding the cold or artificial feeling and bringing forth warmness that will not fade on the exterior portions. All testing of the walls was conducted on-site by a team that included the late national rammed-earth consultant Rick Green and a local installer, which allowed them to study the samples as they would be when installed alongside the natural lighting and landscape of the home. Construction of the walls took 3 months to complete. While the triangular-shaped lot the home resides on was seen as a challenge, but it also provided many opportunities which included the ability to orient the home in a way that provided privacy from the open hillside and incorporate distinctive design elements. The home itself was built in a Z-shaped configuration that provides a protected rear courtyard that both offers privacy and defends against the strong winds and sun exposure. This is in line with Lake|Flato Architects' design philosophy of both capturing the beauty of the landscape and being able to respond in a defensive manner. In somewhat similar fashion, the home's butterfly roof serves the dual purpose of providing aesthetic beauty and acting as a funnel for rainwater to nourish the palo verde trees in the landscape, which is a miniature bioswale in itself. Currently, the 5th Inspiration home is under construction, with the 6th in design, of which more may be built depending on how well they sell and as development progresses in the Ascaya community. Certainly hitting their goal of bringing desert-contemporary architecture in a unique community, it will be interesting to see what the internationally-recognized architects being brought it can bring to life. Check out more details, including those about the interior and photos of the home at http://bit.ly/2MXUqeE and tell us what you think by commenting!

A Look Back at the Splendor of Modern Wood Construction That Is The John Hope Gateway Designed in 2009 by Cullinan Studio, The John Hope Gateway at West Gate of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is something that in TreeHugger's Lloyd Alter's words "today we take this kind of wood construction for granted, but back then it was really cutting edge" at http://bit.ly/2NH0dFp. The John Hope Gateway is more than just a grand piece of wood construction to be admired, it is quit...e literally the gateway into environmental sustainability that is expressed throughout the Royal Botanic Garden and not just its exhibits. Lloyd notes that from Royal Botanic Garden's website that they say this regarding the sustainable systems in place "Perhaps most obvious is the wind turbine mounted on the green sedum roof but there are also other renewable energy systems, such as a biomass-fuelled boiler, solar collectors for hot water and photovoltaic panels." What Lloyd took most notice of when visiting is the wonderful detail in the woodwork all around the building, which according to Royal Botanic Garden is Scottish Timber wherever possible. From the furniture, to the roof, to the staircase, structured veneered lumber, glue-laminated wood, and Cross-Laminated Timber (engineered wood from Lloyd's observations) are used to great effect to that in his words is "such an inspiring building, a model of sustainable design, a pioneer in modern wood." Check out more photos and story on the project on Cullinan Studio's website at http://bit.ly/2M4E6N7