Colorful Rammed Earth

As a process that involves the layer-by-layer compression of gravel, sand, silt, and clay, rammed earth appears as horizontal stratification of earth tones. This can be controlled and explored through patterns, texture, pigmentation, and natural clay colors. The type of soil not only affects the mechanical properties of the rammed layers (the denser the material, … Read more

Sculptor Builds Permanent Nubian Vaulted Structure

“Lookout,” located on a hilltop in a wooded corner of the Storm King Art Center, is sculptor Martin Puryearthe’s latest work. “Lookout,” which has 90 openings of varying dimensions, is his first piece in brick. He claims that this is his most complicated sculpture to date. It uses a technique known as Nubian vaulting, developed … Read more

The Aanandaa Natural Home in India

Manisha Lath Gupta and her family wanted to live in an environment where they grow their produce, and living with nature meant living in a home built using natural materials. Aanandaa house is built using sustainable materials like rammed earth, stone, lime, brick, and traditional roofing systems. These materials were sourced locally and they hired … Read more

Building Warm Homes and Community at Pine Ridge Reservation

A home is so much more than its physical manifestation in the world. It is a place of togetherness, of gathering, of sharing, and of connecting. The mission of inourhands.love is to leverage their building technique to support those in need by providing warmth, stability, economic opportunity, and hope. The act of building a home … Read more

The Value of Straw Wattle Walls

I recently received this message from Patti Stouter, who has been a long time advocate and experimenter with earthbags and other natural technologies, especially as a means for surviving earthquakes and other calamities: I am beginning a test shelter project of straw wattle that may be helpful in both Ukraine and Turkey, so this report … Read more