The Rammed Earth House

by David Easton, David Easton

The Rammed Earth House is an eye-opening example of how the most dramatic innovations in home design and construction frequently have their origins in the distant past. By rediscovering the most ancient of all building materials --earth--forward-thinking homebuilders can now create structures that set new standards for beauty, durability, and efficient use of natural resources.

Rammed earth construction is a step forward into a sustainable future, when homes will combine pleasing aesthetics and intense practicality with a powerful sense of place. Rammed earth homes are built entirely on-site, using basic elements--earth, water, and a little cement. The solid masonry walls permit design flexibility while providing year-round comfort and minimal use of energy. The builder and resident of a rammed earth house will experience the deep satisfaction of creating permanence in a world dominated by the disposable.

Genres: Architecture, Construction, Nonfiction

274 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2004

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good history, analysis, and step-by-step guide to the planning, design, and construction of rammed earth houses and other buildings. For anyone who is thinking about building a house and researching different construction techniques, or who has definitely chosen this as their planned method, this book will be very useful. Along with the information on the history and science of rammed earth construction, the book is well illustrated with photos of many examples of rammed earth buildings in a variety of places and environments, enough so to make it a decent coffee table book as well.
If you're interested in architecture and/or alternatives to standard construction techniques, I think you'll want to add this book to your library. Very well done.

[Mel Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because my partner and I are in the process of planning an energy efficient home build and love the idea of working with rammed earth. I found it overly technical at times, considering it’s meant as a tutorial for how to construct rammed earth structures, and we most definitely intend to hire a contractor for that! I was initially worried that I was getting enough information to be dangerous but not enough to be helpful, but by the end of the book I felt like I had a decent enough handle on the process to understand it and be able to ask the right questions.

[Wayne Rurka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for the DIYer, hard work but what a payoff.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough book on rammed earth home construction.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and detailed.

[Gwyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having an interest in healthy home building, I found The Rammed Earth House gives and overall view of the history and process of building rammed earth homes. I will certainly give this type of home building consideration when building a sustainable home in the future.

[Brian Dunkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why didn't I major in architecture?

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated, this field is rapidly evolving. Mine is the 1997 printing.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and a great overview