RAMMED EARTH REVIVAL

Clay-rich earth can be compacted in layers in formwork to construct load-bearing walls. This technique is called rammed earth and it is a sustainable option for constructions, since no firing is needed and the material is abundant across the globe. The technique has been used historically on all continents but it is not so common anymore in industrialised countries. However, a revival has started to happen. The company Erden (also called Lehm Ton Erde) in Austria has developed a technique for prefabricating load-bearing rammed earth wall elements that can be stacked to construct large-scale buildings. As a part of my master’s thesis in architecture I went on a trip to visit Erden and many of their recent projects in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In this article I am presenting observations from the trip together with photos.

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