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Guantanamera: Utilization of Rammed Earth Methodology in a Low-cost Housing Project

Gerald P.Francia

Holy Angel University

March 2020
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Guantanamera: Utilization of Rammed Earth Methodology in a Low-cost Housing Project

300 million is the estimated number of new housing units by 2030 to accommodate

3(three billion) of people in the world.( World Bank). The government is pressure to cater for

this enormous demand of housing is high. Significant impact of economic development is

equated in housing thus 80 % of GDP (Gross domestic product) depends on 54 % of the world

population that lives in the urban areas. Therefore, urban housing project, specifically from

slums upgrades have been gaining significant attention by the media and organizations. While,

projects in the rural housing does not receive much attention, often they are neglected and given

less importance. However, currently 46 % of the total population the world lives in the rural

areas.(KN J.A. Mota,)

In the Philippines, its prevalent that many people are still considered as informal settlers,

others are living in a makeshift housing.” About 4.5 million people are homeless or living in

informal settlements in the Philippines, with its population of about 106 million, according to the

statistics office.

About 3 million of them are in Metro Manila, possibly the most in any urban area in the

world, charities estimate.”(Chandran, 2018, pa. 6) And based on the result of of the CBMS

survey , 4.1% of household in tarlac were living in a makeshift housing. The Duterte

Administration, under Phil. Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed an on-going project called- Build

Build Build Program, that aims to erect massive structure by the end of his term in 2022.

“Part of DuterteNomics is the Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Plan which according to

the administration will usher in the "Golden Age of Infrastructure". The program also includes

the continuation of some projects started by the previous administration of President Benigno

Aquino III. The goals of the program are to reduce poverty, encourage economic growth and
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reduce congestion in Metro Manila.[6] As of August 2019, only 12% of the flagship projects

have construction underway. This has been attributed to the delayed passage of the 2019 national

budget and the election ban on public works.”( Wikipedia.org, 2020, para.5)

“Build, Build, Build is composed of more than 20,000 infrastructure projects nationwide,

involving roads, highways, farm-to-market roads, airports, seaports, terminals, evacuation

centers, lighthouses, hospitals, schools, government centers, among others.”( Manila Bulletin,

2019, para. 7)

“Because of Build, Build, Build, the construction sector experienced a 12.7 percent

growth since 2016, while its number of workers has ballooned to 4.2 million this year from 3.5

million in April 2017, accounting for 51.9 percent of the industry segment’s total

employment.” .”( Manila Bulletin, 2019, para. 8)

Although there were vast projects coming, housing is not a part of it, but there where

plenty of resettlement of house on-going here and there for the poor sectors of the

community.Unfortunately, there were also thousands of urban poor families facing demolition,

eviction, and relocation. Where this people be relocated? Where do the homeless go? Where do

the informal –settlers go?The government is taking a plan of action in fostering this pepole, that

they can have their own decent homes- cheap but study, nonetheless , taxes people are paying

are people’s money also.

“Rammed earth has been used in construction for thousands of years, with evidence of its

use dating as far back as the Neolithic Period. Commonly used especially in China, the technique

was applied to both ancient monuments and vernacular architecture, with the Great Wall utilizing

the technique. Though interest in rammed earth declined in the 20th century, some continue to

advocate its use today, citing its sustainability in comparison to more modern construction
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methods. Most notably, rammed earth structures use local materials, meaning they have low

embodied energy and produce little waste.”(Cao, 2020, para.1)

‘To start, working with rammed earth requires a strong understanding of the climate and

location in which the structure is to be built. Typically, the rammed earth technique works best in

climates with high humidity and relatively moderate temperatures. In colder climates, rammed

earth walls may need additional insulators, while in locations with high rainfall, they need

additional protection against rain. Additionally, many countries lack regulations for rammed

earth buildings. For these reasons, rammed earth construction may not be feasible for some

locations.” (Cao, 2020, para.2)

“To improve some of the shortcomings of this ancient technique, additional measures can

be taken to enhance the walls. For example, to improve rammed earth’s relatively poor thermal

performance, architects may add extra insulation to the walls. If applied externally, the insulation

should be vapor-permeable to allow evaporation; if applied internally, insulation options are

much more flexible, although the insulation should not be attached directly to the face of the

wall. To account for possible water damage, rammed earth walls should be sheltered by long

overhanging eaves and lifted on solid raised footings at least 225 mm above ground level.” (Cao,

2020, para.3)

“Sometimes, to remedy these shortcomings as well as increasing the load-bearing

capacity of rammed earth walls, cement will be added into the original soil mixture as a

stabilizer. This concoction is referred to as Stabilized Rammed Earth (SRE) in contrast to

Rammed Earth (RE) and is common particularly in Australia. However, this addition may

decrease the lauded sustainability of rammed earth construction due to the high embodied energy
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of cement. Designers choosing between SRE and RE should consider climate, structural

requirements, durability, and sustainability when making their decision. “(Cao, 2020, para.4)

“The rammed earth technique may be one of the oldest known construction methods, but

it may be worth investigating updating it for modern times. Being an environmentally-friendly,

strong, and even aesthetic material, rammed earth has a lot of potential for the future – just as

much as it was a staple of the past.” (Cao, 2020, para.5)

“There is a need for an affordable solution to cater for this shortage of housing.

Construction with conventional materials such as concrete or fired bricks is often considered

plausible due to their wide availability and standardization in use. However, the prices of these

materials have risen significantly over the years and higher than the proportional rise in income.

To meet the demands of low income households, traditional and indigenous materials could be

re-considered as interesting alternatives. Local construction materials and building practices that

are tailored to rural lifestyles, topography, climate and resistance to natural calamities have the

potential to offer solutions to the shortage of housing in India.”( Kulshreshtha et al., 2020,

para.4)

“Earth or mud is one of such abundant resource that has been used as a construction

material for over 9000 years [16]. Even today, one-third of world population is estimated to live

in houses that are at least in part made of earth [17]. In developing countries, this number is

estimated to be much higher. Earthen houses are considered environmental friendly and

affordable as compared to houses built with concrete or fired clay bricks, for a multitude of

reasons, for example earthen houses are known to improve the indoor air quality and thermal

comfort [20], they consume minimal energy for material production [18] and the transportation

costs are reduced due to local resource utilisation [19]. In recent years, the increasing price of
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building materials has resulted in revival of interest in earthen construction globally.”

( Kulshreshtha et al., 2020, para.5)

“Rammed earth, building material made by compacting certain soils, used by many

civilizations. The most durable of the earth-building forms, rammed earth may be used for

making building blocks or for constructing whole walls in place, layer by layer. In making

building blocks, the soil is rammed into a box-shaped mold. In building up whole walls, two

wooden planks separated by a spacer bolt are used as a form, and the earth is rammed into this in

layers; when the form is filled, it is removed and superimposed on the top of the wall and more

earth is rammed in until the desired height is reached. Ironheaded rammers, roller-mounted

forms, pneumatic rammers, and hydraulic, mass-production block presses have been used. The

soil used must be high in sand and low in clay, 70 percent and 30 percent being the usual

proportions. About 10 percent water is added in modern practice. Good compressive strength is

characteristic of rammed earth.”( Tikkanen, 2008, para.1)

“Wall thicknesses are usually at least 12 inches (30 cm), a mass that results in a high

thermal capacity, keeping the internal conditions uniform in climates having large variations in

temperature from day to night. To give it increased resistance to weather, the wall surface is

often treated with plaster, bitumen, or linseed oil. Stabilizers may be added to the soil to increase

weather resistance and strength; portland cement and bitumen are commonly used.”( Tikkanen,

2008, para.2)

“Rammed earth is considered a very sustainable construction system due to its low

embodied energy, long service life and high recyclability. However, authors found that there is a

lack of experimental results at real scale regarding rammed earth thermal behaviour. For this

reason, this paper is first focused on the characterization of two different types of earth in order
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to check the suitability of being used in rammed earth walls. After the characterization, two

experimental cubicle-shape buildings were built in Barcelona and Puigverd de Lleida (Spain) in

order to test the thermal behaviour of their walls in two different climatic conditions.

Temperature profiles inside walls have been monitored using thermocouples and temperature

profile of southern walls was analysed in free floating conditions during summer and winter

periods of 2013. Results show that thermal amplitude from outside to inside temperatures are

decreased by rammed earth walls, achieving constant temperatures in inner surface of southern

walls.”(Serrano et al., 2017, para.1)

“Rammed earth can be classified as stabilized and non-stabilized. Non-stabilized rammed

earth consists entirely of clay, silt, sand, gravel and water. Stabilized rammed earth includes

other materials in order to improve its properties. In the present study, straw is added to increase

its durability against water erosion, expanded clay to improve thermal properties and Portland

cement to increase compressive strength .”(Serrano et al., 2017, para.7)

“Portland cement acts as a physicochemical stabilizer. Its manufacture is extremely

energy consuming and originates residual dust in quarries that causes a significant environmental

impact. Its use should be restricted to structural elements with optimized design section and its

durability should be extended to the maximum. One of the disadvantages of using Portland

cement as a stabilizer is that it makes rammed earth not recyclable, although it would still be

reusable [11]. Furthermore, it adversely increases the embodied energy of rammed earth .

Favourably, cement stabilized rammed earth embodied energy is notably lower than

conventional construction systems as concrete, reinforced concrete or clay brick ; moreover, it

acts as a stabilizer against water erosion. Straw acts as a physical stabilizer that is used to

minimize shrinkage during the curing process and to reduce rammed earth density. It also
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decreases swelling and contraction caused by water during moulding as well as fragility and, on

the other hand, it improves elastic deformation. This physical stabilizer is biodegradable and,

therefore, it can be fully returned to the environment. Expanded clay is added in order to improve

thermal properties of rammed earth (high porosity) and to reduce its density (very low

density).”(Serrano et al., 2017, para.8)

“Rammed earth walls, in comparison to adobe bricks, are built in more damp, humid

climates wherebuilding adobe bricks are practically impossible. In countries like North Africa

and Australia, rammed earth has been considered a viable option although using adobe bricks in

these arid-climate countries is not ruled out.” (Niroumanda & Jamil, 2013, p.228)

“Appearance-The colour of rammed earth walls is determined by the earth and aggregate

used. The ramming process proceeds layer by layer and can introduce the appearance of

horizontal stratification to the walls, which can enhance the overall appearance. It can be

controlled as a feature or eliminated.” ( Downton, 2013, para.6)

“Aggregates can be exposed and special effects created by the addition of different

coloured material in some layers, and elements such as feature stones or objects, alcoves or relief

mouldings can be incorporated into rammed earth walls, at a price. Unusual finishes can be

achieved by including shapes in the formwork that can be released after the wall has been

rammed.” ( Downton, 2013, para.7)

“Structural capability-Rammed earth is very strong in compression and can be used for

multi-storey loadbearing construction. Research in New Zealand indicates that monolithic earth

walls perform better under earthquake conditions than walls made of separate bricks or blocks. A

five storey hotel in Queensland is built of stabilised rammed earth. Rammed earth can be

engineered to achieve reasonably high strengths and be reinforced in a similar manner to

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concrete, although horizontal reinforcement is not recommended and excessive vertical

reinforcement can cause cracking problems.” ( Downton, 2013, para.10)

“Rammed earth behaves as heavyweight masonry with a high thermal mass. Thermal

mass absorbs or ‘slows down’ the passage of heat through a material and then releases that heat

when the surrounding ambient temperature goes down. All other things being equal, a high mass

building such as rammed earth remains close to the 24 hour average for the time of year: in many

climates this may be too cold or warm for comfort. If heating or cooling is required, the walls

need to be insulated to limit energy consumption.” ( Downton, 2013, para.12)

“Used correctly, and in the right climate, the thermal mass of rammed earth can delay

heat flow through the building envelope by as much as 10 to 12 hours and can even out daily

temperature variations.’ ( Downton, 2013, para.13)

“Rammed earth walls become effective when the difference between day and night

outdoor temperatures is at least 6°C. Where the diurnal range is greater than 10°C, appropriate

design can exploit the high thermal mass of rammed earth to very good effect (see Thermal

mass).” ( Downton, 2013, para.14)

“In cool or cold climates well-located rammed earth walls (e.g. feature walls within a

well-insulated envelope) can supply a battery of useful thermal storage. Rammed earth is not

recommended for tropical climates where high mass construction can cause a house to hold too

much heat and cause thermal discomfort .” ( Downton, 2013, para.15)

“Building energy efficiency rating tools such as AccuRate include the capability to

simulate the combined effects of wall mass and insulation, and also allow comfort in extreme

weather conditions to be reviewed, so the building’s performance can be optimised.” ( Downton,

2013, para.16)
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“Insulation is about stopping heat passing through a material rather than slowly absorbing

or releasing it. As a corollary to its high thermal mass, rammed earth has limited thermal

insulating qualities — similar to an uninsulated fibre cement wall.” ( Downton, 2013, para.17)

“Insulation can be added to rammed earth walls with linings but, as a general rule, a

300mm rammed earth wall will not meet Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements for

external wall insulation. Hybrid buildings that use insulated framed external walls with rammed

earth internal walls and feature elements can achieve high insulation and high mass.” ( Downton,

2013, para.18)

“Sound insulation-One of the best ways to insulate against sound is have monolithic

mass, which rammed earth provides very well. It has excellent sound reverberation

characteristics and does not generate the harsh echoes characteristic of many conventional wall

materials (see Noise control).” ( Downton, 2013, para.22)

“Fire and vermin resistance-There are no flammable components in a rammed earth wall

and its fire resistance is thus very good. In tests by the CSIRO a 150mm thick Cinva-rammed

earth block wall (similar to rammed earth) achieved a near four hour fire-resistance rating. There

is no cavity to harbour vermin and nothing in the material to attract or support them so its

resistance to vermin attack is very high.” ( Downton, 2013, para.23)

“Durability and moisture resistance-The basic technology has been around for thousands

of years and there are many rammed earth buildings still standing that are centuries old. Rammed

earth does possess a generally high durability but all types of rammed earth walls are porous by

nature and need protection from driving rain and long term exposure to moisture.” ( Downton,

2013, para.24)
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“Breathability and toxicity-Provided it is not sealed with material that is impermeable to

air molecules, rammed earth maintains its breathability. Finished walls are inert but take care in

the choice of waterproofing or anti-dust finishes to avoid adding toxicity to the surfaces.”

( Downton, 2013, para.26)

Many Capasenos are still living as informal-settlers that the researcher aims to develop

and study about cheap or low-cost housing.Furthermore, not only in Capas that informal- settlers

are dwelling but other parts of Tarlac. Many people were still homeless, and the government is

trying its best to solve the shortage of housing. The location of the site is in Capas, because first,

there are still vast amount of land in there. Secondly, Capas is eyeing for cityhood, so there will

be a lot of opportunities for the end-user, many jobs will be created in the future.Also, the site

has access to important institution like hospitals, school, churches and source of food like

groceries and supermarket, there is also an ease of transport because of the existing roads,

although streets nearby are not that well -developed .Lastly, the on-going resettlement nearsest to

the project is in Bamban-a neighboring town of Capas, a quite far though, so we are giving

chances for the informal –settlers in Capas to have their own housing community.

By opting for cheaper raw material like the earth, government won’t have hard time in

building and realizing the said project.-it is really cost effective. In addition, there were benefits

of using rammed earth, from being sustainable of the material, its beauty and aesthetics, its being

a an healthy option-a home that can breathe because it is porous , being one of the most durable

materials, being a good material for a tropical country( hot and humid at the same time)- the

Philippines.

The researcher aims for these three (3) project objective:

•to provide a qualitative and quantitative survey about the project. ;

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•to augment on the status of the poor-informal-settlers by owning their own house and;

•to establish an outline of architectural solution for a low-cost housing using cheap

materials.

The study will focus on solving a problem that is housing shortage for informal-settlers in

Capas and nearby towns, while finding for a the right material that is affordable but not

compromising the quality of the project.The researcher aims to provide a quality research for

future use, to impart knowledge to other architecture students who are also doing their study and

most importantly, to the government , for them to add an additional information about affordable

homes that they can use for their future projects.

Living in the world without a shelter is tragic. Security and peace of mind of oneself is

missing. Providing decent houses for them will help them regain their morals and be able to be

part of a community that is equal is such a wonderful thing on earth everybody should

experience.The researcher will to do an online interview with some experts of the field of the

study and do online reading, gather reliable data from authorities like LGU and do some

interview from them , and do some interview from informal-settlers if given a chance to have a

face-to-face interview.The topics will be all the things related to the problem,will consult a civil

engineer to know how rammed earth is really durable.An architect for the planning and

aesthetics of the building and other consideration. The research locale is around Capas and

Angeles City where the interviewees are residing.

The researcher will vigorously do its assignments and research if this material-rammed

earth really has the potential for low-cost housing.

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Review of Related Literature

Building the earth house the ‘bayanihan’ way

If you think home-building the “bayanihan” way went out when the overseas Filipino workers

began sending money to have sturdier homes made of concrete and GI roofing. The Maryknoll

Ecological Sanctuary (MES) in Baguio City, over a 10-month period, built its earth house

covering 82 sq.m. at a cost of a little more than P500,000 without buying the usual materials

from lumberyards and hardware stores in the sense that being resourceful is what the developer

is aiming. In keeping with the sanctuary’s mission to be responsible earth stewards and more

environment friendly, Emma Villanueva, tasked with overseeing the building of the house, used

three ecologically sound building techniques:

Affordable technique Earth or dust, sand and fiber (wood shavings or rice straws) are mixed to

produce building material that is as sturdy as cement for the walls- Cobbling. Regular, moistened

soil is stuffed into sandbags, tamped to flatten the bags and laid the way hollow blocks are laid-

Sandbagging. These are plastered with a mixture of lime and earth for the benches in the living

area and bedrooms.Use of adobe bricks for the bar counter. Villanueva described these as

“affordable techniques” with the soil coming from the foundation that the builders dug. She said,

“It’s earth-friendly. The soil is just there underfoot. It’s minimally processed and plentiful. Think

of it—you can get it anywhere.”Being the earth is almost everywhere. She described the white

clay plaster on the walls . The exterior is made water-resistant, “but the walls are porous

meaning small holes can be seen but microscopically , they can breathe and are cool ,this way

there must be a good air flow since the site is in a tropical set up. Any moisture that goes in

comes out. If the temperature changes or the heat goes out, it can be released. It isn’t trapped
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inside. When it’cold outside, it’s warm inside and vice versa, that the researcher sees a high

potential when it comes to insulation.” With the help of families, friends and the Maryknoll

sisters, even children and a few hired workers pitching in, the house was built bayanihan-style,

(Lolarga,2016)

Cheap, tough and green: why aren’t more buildings made of rammed earth?

As a construction technique It’s fair to say that rammed earth has stood the test of time.

Beauty and robustness are still visible today among buildings around the world, like the

Alhambra in Spain and the Great Wall of China, both built more than 1,000 years ago. A mix of

clay-rich soil, water and a natural stabiliser such as animal urine, animal blood, plant fibres or

bitumen is what traditional rammed earth is made of. It is then compacted inside temporary

formworks that are removed after the mix has dried and hardened. The resulting structure can

withstand compressive forces of up to 2.5 megapascals (around 10% of the average compressive

strength of modern bricks). Of course they need some architectural features to protect them from

the rain and wind the walls can be reinforced using embedded timber beams or bamboo grids.

South America, China, India, the Middle East and North Africa are where historical examples of

buildings made of traditional rammed earth can be found. Traditional rammed earth is enjoying a

resurgence, and several modern buildings have been constructed using the technique, such as the

three-storey rammed earth home like In Europe, especially in France, Britain and Germany. In

the past 30 years a new version of rammed earth has appeared and gained popularity in Australia,

California and Canada and certain parts of the world. Called cement-stabilized rammed earth

(CSRE), it consists of a mix of low-clay soil, water and cement. This mixture is compacted

inside temporary formworks and left to dry Like traditional rammed earth. But it is an order of

magnitude stronger, giving it similar strength and durability to concrete withstanding

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compression forces up to 40 mega pascals,. especially if reinforced with steel. This means that

walls do not need special protection from rain and wind because they are strong and durable,

Sustainable building blocks. Both traditional rammed earth and CSRE have several

characteristics that make them an attractive choice of building material. The main ingredient is

soil, which is cheap (if not free). In remote areas, building with local soil means significantly

reducing the costs of transporting construction materials to the site. The is very straight forward

building technique. In general, only one experienced builder is required on site to instruct labour

force about how to construct the formwork and mix the materials, creating jobs and reducing the

costs of transporting and accommodating workers from elsewhere, the rest of the work can be

done by untrained or unskilled people from the local community. It has to be strong to hold up

all those tourists. Although rammed earth does not have very good insulating properties, but the

walls are verythick (typically 250-800 mm), meaning that rammed earth buildings can easily

produce comfortable indoor conditions in hot and arid places. Rammed earth walls breathe

making it suitable for people with respiratory problems, hence they can regulate the indoor

relative humidity. And finally, they typically do not need any plaster or render, the final texture

of rammed earthwalls is unique and beautiful.Ramming home the message there are currently

several projects around the world that aim to promote rammed earth as a sustainable and cost-

effective construction technique. The developers are working with the WA Department of

Housing to investigate the use of CSRE in remote Indigenous communities. Being so far the

most difficult aspect of the project- gaining the trust of the Indigenous population. Colorado

University is starting a similar project to look at the possibility of building rammed earth homes

on Native American reserves in the United States. Most impressively of all building new houses

using both traditional and modern rammed earth, China’s Xi’an University of Architecture and
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Technology has developed this project to help rural communities. The local population to create

entire new villages built with rammed earth, the scheme has successfully helped . But rammed

earth is not only applied in affordable housing projects. Strangely enough buildings designed by

eccentric architects for wealthy and environmentally concerned clients, the other most common

application is in expensive residential. Considered real pieces of art, these houses usually end up

in and design. Stephen Dobson, Ramtec,”With a room this nice, who needs curtains? So, why

isn’t everyone using it? Rammed earth has been used for centuries, but today its use is limited to

specialized projects like the ones described above. Why is it not extensively used around the

world, for ordinary buildings like offices and houses? A lack of knowledge is one of the major

reasons. The research is quite a new field compared with other more traditional construction

materials like concrete, steel, masonry and timber. Although rammed earth itself is old.

Unfortunately, a lack of research means a lack of understanding of the material and its structural

properties. Another obstacle is regulation, or a lack of it.as in most countries, there is no building

code for rammed earth buildings like In Australia. Many engineers and architects would

discourage the prospect of working with an unregulated construction . The good side is that the

interest in environmentally friendly and affordable houses has never been bigger. Beginning to

investigate the different properties of rammed earth with the aim of promoting this construction

technique Researchers from different backgrounds (engineering, materials science, architecture,

chemistry, and more).

The chances of finding yourself inside a rammed earth building in the years to come are growing

while it might not be as grand as the Alhambra, ( Ciancio,2015)

Contemporary Remodelling of Traditional Materials in Chinese Vernacular Architecture

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Vernacular architecture has started adapting the distinct strategy of utilizing local

material constrained by a lack of transportation and resources . By analyzing projects which have

successfully incorporated these features into their design. Tiles, metal, rocks, bamboo, wooden

sticks, timber, rammed earth and bricks- that this article gives an overview of how traditional

materials are being transformed through vernacular architecture in China. Responded to

environmental hardship and resource scarcity with highly localized building materials, including

green tiles, rammed earth, masonry blocks, bamboo, old stone slabs, old rubble, and terrazzo

recycled from demolished villages in Qingxiao Residence, located in Liangjiashan Village in

Wuyi County, Zhejiang Province, built by Shulin Architectural Design. Also the traditional

construction techniques were integrated into the new design not only were the traditional

building materials recycled, . Piles of old tiles were carefully selected for the use of new wall.

piles would form new walls structurally and aesthetically by meticulously planning the quality of

tiles, their shape and the position of stacking.( Miao, 2020)

OUALALOU + CHOI Reveals Images of the Morocco Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai

Showcasing traditional Moroccan design and construction techniques In Dubai

OUALALOU + CHOI has designed the Morocco Pavilion at the 2020 Expo, showcasing

traditional Moroccan design and construction techniques “Rammed earth construction to new

heights, the pavilion brings”. The Morocco Pavilion is scheduled to open in October 2020, with

construction underway by the award-winning international team of OUALALOU + CHOI that

based in Paris and Casablanca. The project puts in place a 4000 m², 33 m high rammed earth

façade, the largest of its kind highlighting a pioneering work of rammed earth construction.The
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composition comprises twenty-two stacked rectangular volumes, including fourteen exhibition

spaces, a traditional Moroccan restaurant, a tea room, a modern street food area, a shop, an event

space, an office space, and a lounge. “Pushing the technical and creative limits of Morocco’s

traditional building materials to new heights, while paying tribute to the country’s rich and

varied culture and landscape”, In fact, Morocco plays a key role in passively regulating indoor

conditions in hot and arid places with the use of traditional building material.(Harrouk,2020)

Renzo Piano Designs Emergency Hospital in Uganda with Rammed Earth Walls

Released an update of their Emergency Children’s Surgery Center in Uganda by Renzo

Piano Building Workshop , as work progresses on the pediatric surgery hospital. The scheme has

sought to merge the practical requirements of the healthcare industry with a “model piece of

architecture that is rational, tangible, modern, beautiful, and firmly linked to tradition.” since its

inception in 2013. In Uganda, and greater Africa The Piano scheme seeks to become a symbol of

the important promotion of healthcare and health culture.The scheme’s walls and pathways will

form terraces on which the hospital itself will stand,responding to the site’s topographical curves

towards a nearby lake .Leading to “a spatial continuum between interior and exterior”,stacked

walls will breaking the distinction between various zones to create a unity between the lake,

park, and internal hospital environment. The team are employing a rammed-earth wall technique,

which not only repurposes excavated soil but also gives dignity to a technique that is “associated

by most people with a past of poverty that needs to be forgotten.” to build the hospital.A mixture

of earth, sand, gravel, binding agents, and traces of water, all compressed in wooden or metal

frames,the ancient method involves . the scheme’s environmental embodied energy that the

local-available material negates the need for cement or specialist workers and enhances. Born
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from the earth, ensuring the hospital has an autonomous electricity supply during the day, the

hospital will get its energy from the sun, with 9,800 square meters of photovoltaic

panels.Providing energy to the surrounding area at times of low consumption the scheme will

also be connected to the main line. Also guaranteeing shade for the hospital and uncovered

walkways, the photovoltaic roof “floats” above the building, (Walsh, 2019)

Colors Of the Earth: Ghana's Incredible, Rammed Earth Walls

Some sections of the Great Wall of China were made using Rammed earth .Rammed

earth constructions are not a novelty, on the contrary. The mud walls are currently re-emerging

as an economic, sustainable solution, with low environmental impact,relegated and replaced by

modern methods of construction, Betting that it may be the answer to the housing deficit in her

region, Joelle Eyeson, a young African entrepreneur said.

The earth is compressed into wooden boxes ,this is a rudimentary construction system in.To

achieve its ideal density creating a resistant and durable structure,the clay is horizontally placed

in layers of 15 cm in height, and compacted with manual or pneumatic tools. In 2016, , a

company specializing in rammed earth construction, based in Ghana, Africa that Joelle Eyeson

co-founded Hive Earth. Using materials of local origin and available in abundance throughout

West Africa, her proposal is to build accessible and ecologically sound housing through this

system. However, according to Joelle, if the client wants to be 100% ecological, cement can be

replaced by lime. The construction process of Hive Earth is quite simple, The walls are made

with a combination of earth, sand, clay, and 5% cement. The materials are selected then placed in

a mixer to form a wet mass. It is placed in molds and distributed so that it is compressed to half

the original height, once the mixture is ready. The molds are removed to dry and cure, after that.
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The walls have attracted attention due to their aesthetics built by Hive Earth. The combination of

layers with different earth mixtures result in drawings with waves, natural textures, and beautiful

earthy tones. No rammed earth wall is equal to the next. "Many of the colors you see on the walls

are natural colors of the earth. Having so many different variations of earth that we can get light

beige, gray, red or even black, in Ghana. Joelle says sometimes adding iron oxide pigments to

create brighter colors if the client asks for it,". The housing deficit in Ghana currently stands at

1.7 million homes, and that number continues to grow. Hive Earth manages to build a one-

bedroom house for only $5,000 USD. According to the company, this can solve the housing

crisis not only in Ghana but also throughout the African continent, due to the low cost of

building with earth Another benefit of building with earth is that it can cool interior spaces,

decreasing the use of air conditioning systems In addition to its low cost. There is no need to

paint the walls which means Its maintenance is also low. The walls are sound and termite-proof,

as well as free of chemicals and toxins that may be present in cement, the conventional one. Hive

Earth uses only 5% cement in its formula to give alloy, but when it is viable it is replaced by

lime. The intention to use the minimum cement possible goes beyond the cost. Closed spaces

with too much cement become unhealthy if they do not have adequate ventilation due to the

excess of heat and humidity in Ghana. New ventures have started and intends to produce

residential decoration and finishing solutions by the Hive Earth. In addition to continuing to

employ men and women, especially in rural areas, to reduce unemployment among young people

by holding workshops in universities to teach young people and future architects how to design

with land. (Souza, 2019)

Material Focus: The Great Wall of WA by Luigi Rosselli

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Providing a unique example of rammed earth construction. At 230 meters in length, the

Great Wall of WA is the longest structure of its kind in Australia and possibly the South

Hemisphere, according to its architectsThe Great Wall of WA, designed by the Australian firm

Luigi Rosselli Architects, and selected as one of Archdaily’s Best Building of the Year 2016.

The building is made from locally available materials whose thermal properties help it to endure

a variable climate that was built in remote North Western Australia. Built in remote North

Western Australia,the landscape featured in North Western Australia, with its iron ore rich soil,

sand dunes and harsh environmental and climatic constraints. Location of the site also required a

practical solution of sourcing materials locally since the site remote and isolated. The rammed

earth wall construction is composed of iron rich, sandy clay that is a dominant feature of the site,

and pebbles and gravel were quarried from the nearby river bed and bonded with water from the

local bore hole. The concrete slab which lend a reddish color to its polished surface contains

gravel and aggregates from the local river. In this hot and harsh climate using rammed earth

made perfect sense, as the clay component of the wall has hygroscopic characteristics, and

airflow along the wall draws moisture from it through evaporation. This evaporative cooling

reduces or lessens the temperature of the wall in the same way sweat cools the body. Like a

natural cut in the topography, reflecting the environment it inhabits ,the 230-meter long rammed

earth wall meanders along the edge of a sand dune. While at the same time providing a level of

privacy to each of the enclosed twelve residences buried into the sand dune, the wall is stepped

to organically follow the natural curve of the landscape.To maintain the residences’ cool and

constant temperature with the use of the rammed earth, as well as the underground nature of the

building. The accommodations represent a new approach to remote North Western Australia

architecture,designed according to these thermal mass principles: it moves away from the sun
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baked, thin corrugated metal shelters, and cools architectural earth formations naturally. The

residences having the best thermal mass available with the 450 millimeter thick rammed earth

facade, and the sand dune to the rear and forming the roofs, which makes them naturally cool in

the subtropical climate. Rammed earth is a quarried mix of clay, sand, gravel and does not need

any processing or energy intensive production like bricks and cement. The material has relatively

little embodied energy content, since the material was sourced in close proximity to the

site.Mirrored by a concrete slab on the ground the awning roof is a Cor-Ten steel cyclonic shade

frame. to keep the sun out during the hottest part of the day and invite the inhabitant to go

outside and enjoy the cool evening breeze, the deep awning roof is designed. Based uniquely on

the thermal conductivity of a material,the energy efficiency provisions in the current Building

Code of Australia. Being Thermal mass and hygroscopic characteristics are not factored. To use

a more sophisticated evaluation and simulation program that confirmed the superiority of a high

thermal mass rammed earth construction, we had to employ Floyd Energy consultants. Not

really. So any other alternative would be involving either brick or concrete In this part of the

world , needed thermal mass , both of which would have to be imported. 90% was sourced

locally,in the case of rammed earth. ( AD Editorial Team, 2016)

How Rammed Earth Walls Were Given a New Lease of Life in Vernacular Himalayan

Buildings (February 10, 2016)

The sparsely populated region of Ladakh, Located high in the Himalayan Mountains is

one of the more remote places on Earth. The region includes terrain consisting of steep cliffs and

wide valleys, and an extreme climate to match: temperatures often reach +30 degrees celsius in

the summer months and drop to -30 degrees celsius in the winter, At over 3500 meters above sea
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leve. Importing materials becomes a costly, if not impossible task while Severe weather patterns

such as these typically require durable construction materials and technologies - yet with the

region’s difficult-to-reach location and a construction season lasting only four to six months.

Luckily,residents were able to find that the best material for the job was one found right outside

their doors: rammed earth, with help from Czech architecture firm Archide. Though recently

architectural trends have included concrete frames with mud brick infill and pitched corrugated

iron sheets roofs, most buildings in the area are constructed of mud brick, with wooden floors

and ceilings, and flat clay roofs.Once used widely in the region but now used primarily only as

landscaping walls, architects found more inspiration in traditional mud wall structures The mud

wall method fell out of favor due to imprecise and inconsistent results that would result in

cracking and insufficient strength, the material’s inherent thermal and structural capabilities, and

set out to unlock those qualities through a reinvented construction technique and passive design

strategies, the architects saw. First, testing different materials and arrangements to find an

optimal strength, Archide updated the formwork system for the rammed earth walls . Using

waterproofed plywood and steel struts would achieve a rigid surface that could produce a

consistent result is what they discovered . Next, removing some of the clay to eliminate most of

the wall shrinkage and achieve the desirable strength, they reformulated the mud mixture.

Combined, these improvements allowed for more precise connections between walls and other

building elements and created a crisper aesthetic.Part of an overall master plan for an education

campus in the town of Mulbekh,the team put these techniques to use in the construction of a

school and dormitory building, using design strategies to take maximum advantage of the chosen

material’s properties. Overall, to take advantage of solar gain, rooms are shallow with low

ceilings and face south, and entrance halls are used as buffer zones to reduce heat loss , Placing
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on the north side of the building the Transitional spaces and unoccupied spaces like circulation

and storage . To increase insulation, Windows are also double-glazed. To accommodate for

changes based on the seasons and the time of day, Archide designed the buildings’ wall sections,

separating the program into “day-use” and “night-use” functions. Using large windowed walls

with louvred overhangs to allow light and heat to penetrate deep into the space during the winter,

the “day-use” spaces take advantage of direct heat gain. Where it accumulates heat throughout

the day, “night-use” spaces push more of the thermal mass to the building’s south facing

wall,and slowly releases the heat inside after the sun has set. With the use of the sun’s energy to

create a ventilation chimney and to help dry waste, the design also calls for a solar composting

toilet. Archide was invited to present their project at the Advanced Building Skins international

conference in Bern, Switzerland in October 2015, as a result of their work with rammed

earth.Residents will get the chance to test out the design technique and take advantage of new

employment and educational opportunities, with at least 10 more of these buildings

planned.,Archide has proven that sometimes the best solution is the one found right at your feet,

by utilizing a traditional material in a new way ( Lynch, 2016)