Down to Earth

280 pages

Rammed earth is a wall building technique that uses earth,
chalk, lime and gravel as raw materials. It is an ancient
building method that has experienced a renaissance in

recent years as people seek greener and more sustain-
able building materials and natural construction methods.

Rammed earth walls are simple to construct, non-combus-
tible, thermally massive, strong and durable. However, they

can be labour-intensive to construct without machinery and
are susceptible to water damage if not properly protected

or maintained. Rammed earth buildings are found on al-
most every continent, in a range of environments including

the temperate and humid regions of northern Europe, semi-
arid deserts, mountain and country areas and the tropics.

The availability of usable soil and a building design suited
to local climatic conditions are factors favouring their use.

This book is a compilation of the most relevant internation-
al examples of this interesting building technique.