The Rammed Earth House is one of the few projects in the UK built from unstabilised rammed earth, a material made entirely of compacted soil that has been used in construction since Neolithic times.
Tuckey Design Studio, which worked on the Rammed Earth House, says “The increase in temperatures in Northern Europe means that this material provides significant thermal inertia, a natural regulation of temperature and humidity.”
Today, as architects look for ways to make an industry responsible for over a third of global CO₂ emissions more sustainable, the technology of using land directly from or near the construction site is once again gaining attention. Traditional techniques can become a tool for circular construction and respond to modern climate challenges.
The main enemies of rammed earth are water and low temperatures. Rain and cold can gradually wash away small particles of material from exterior walls. One solution is to use so-called “stabilized” earth, where lime or cement is added to the mix. But this negates the low-carbon advantage of the technology.
The Orchard House project in Dartford uses prefabricated rammed earth blocks made in Spain and shipped to the site. Despite the carbon cost of transportation, it is still more environmentally friendly than traditional bricks. The standardization of blocks simplifies project approval, as there is no need to go through individual technical procedures each time.
It’s important for us to study different building cultures, such as medieval earthen structures of Morocco. We can learn from the old.; the quality of this material is obvious.
The combination of earth with glass and wood allows such structures to be integrated into the urban environment without the use of cement. In addition to the ecology, the architects also note the spatial quality of such buildings. The atmosphere inside the Rammed Earth House is completely different from that of a regular house: soft acoustics, light, natural air filtration.
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