Rammed Earth Walls

Rammed Earth Walls
 

I recently returned from a road trip through the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley is the home to a budding Wine Industry. I was pleasantly surprised with our stop in Osoyoss to visit The Nk'Mip Winery and Resort. NK’MIP Winery Resort is a four-season aboriginal tourism resort destination that features deluxe accommodation and visitor experiences including an award-winning winery, gourmet dining, desert golf, a cultural centre and full-service spa.

It was a feast for my eyes to view the walls of the Cultural Center from the parking lot at Nk'Mip Winery. I was struck by the beauty of this facade that looked like a giant slab of the most sumptuous marble. On closer inspection and inquiry I was informed it was built with "Rammed Earth Walls".

Rammed Earth Walls at Nk'Mip Winery and Resort also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé

(above left) Notice how thick these walls of rammed earth are - approximately 20% thicker than standard concrete walls.
(above right) The rammed earth walls are formed in layers of approximately 6" thick , which gives the walls a beautiful horizontal variegation resembling quarried marble.

Rammed Earth, also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé, is a type of construction material. Pisé de terre (rammed earth) walls are an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and more natural building methods. Traditionally, rammed earth walls  or pisé de terre walls buildings are common in arid regions where wood is in scarce supply.

The basic recipe for rammed earth walls starts and ends with plain old dirt.

RECIPE FOR RAMMED EARTH WALLS
- Soil about 5 litres Water
- Water about half a litre
- Cement 10 percent
- Pigment 1 percent (about 1 tablespoon)

The mixture for rammed earth walls is compacted in layers between forms. Each layer of the rammed earth walls is approximately 6 inches deep. As each form is filled, another form is placed above it, and the process begins again. This is continued until the desired height of the rammed earth walls is achieved. Forms can be stripped off as soon as the form above is begun, as the compressed rammed earth walls are self-supporting immediately. Most builders of rammed earth walls use pneumatic rammers to compact the earth within the forms.

Deep inset Window detail in Rammed Earth Walls Nk'Mip Winery. My Dad and me.

Some interesting facts about Rammed Earth Walls and Rammed Earth Walls Construction:

• Rammed earth walls are 20 percent thicker than most concrete walls so it is better insulating against heat and cold.
• Rammed earth walls improve Indoor Air Quality because of the simple finish of exposed rammed earth walls have no toxic finishes.
• Rammed earth walls are so solid that they boast superb acoustics and rank with the best in terms of fire resistance.
• Because rammed earth walls don't rely on wood the structure will never rot, nor will it be host to carpenter ants or termites.
• Rammed earth walls evolved in hot dry climates, where wood is too rare and precious to be used as a building material.
• Rammed earth walls have been the standard in house construction in Southern Europe and the Middle East since biblical times.
• None other than the Great Wall of China, or at least most of it was built of rammed earth wall construction.
• Does anyone know why it is called Rammed Earth Walls? 
  
  

 

Great Wall of China - Rammed Earth Walls construction

Rammed Earth Walls

Rammed Earth Walls Construction in Residential Bathroom with a Stump window made from base of tree that was growing on the house site.

Rammed Earth Walls

Iron oxide layers have been added to these rammed earth walls in sedimentary layers with inset of abalone.
Above 2 photos or rammed earth walls Terra Firma

 

Rammed Earth Walls

The Rammed Earth House Walls Book available at Amazon - details the construction of building homes with Rammed Earth Walls construction technique.

Additional Resources on Rammed Earth Walls Construction
Wikipedia Rammed Earth Walls Construction
Terra Firma Rammed Earth Walls Builder / Why Rammed Earth Walls in Construction?
Walls of Rammed Earth Rammed Earth Walls
DIY Rammed Earth Walls Construction
Nk'Mip Winery and Resort, Rammed Earth Walls Cultural Center
Rammed Earth Walls Construction Diagram
You Tube Rammed Earth Walls Video
Images Rammed Earth Walls

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Whats Hot - Leather Slipcovers

What's Hot - Leather Slipcovers

John Saladino Leather Slipcovers

What a great way to update the look of upholstered leather chairs by using leather slipcovers instead of the more traditional tight leather upholstery technique. It adds a whole new dimension to the "leather" look. Slipcovers are a great alternative and they give a more casual feel to furniture. You can change the look of your room by having an extra set of slipcovers and changing the slipcovers seasonally you have a brand new decor. Leather slipcovers may be all that your existing chairs need to update them. The new faux leather on the market has the advantage of being easy to clean. And for higher end products, it is hard to tell the difference from real leather, unless you give it the leather 'sniff test'.

slip·cov·ers noun Date:1856
Slipcovers (also called loose cover) is a fitted protective cover that may be slipped off and on a piece of upholstered furniture. Slipcovers are usually made of cloth. Slipcovers slip on and off, they come fresh, and may be removed for seasonal change, cleaning, moving, or storage.

Slipcovers are sometimes defined as "clothing for furniture." Indeed, they are tailored just as clothing is, and are fitted loosely or snugly to the taste of the owner or tailor. Some people order furniture upholstered in plain muslin slipcovers with the intention of using slipcovers only.

Lane Industries Leather Slipcovers left
John Saladino Leather Slipcovers 'Harley Chair' center
John Saladino Leather Slipcovers 'Cassandra Chair' right

Food for thought: John Saladino is the designer of the Harley and Cassandra Leather slipcovered chairs above. He has several meticulously designed and detailed chairs with leather slipcovers in his exclusive 'Saladino Style' line which he has carried for years. As a matter of fact, John Saladino is 'known' for leather slipcovers in the world of design by professional designers. Interior Designers/Decorators are usually the first to create a design that is fresh and new and then it eventually filters down to the mass market like the current "What's Hot" fad for Leather Slipcovers, which is now being seen in mass production in the example of the chair on the left above by Lane Furniture. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with mass produced furniture, but what I lament is that the original designer of the concept is often forgotten and not recognized in the wake of the new trend. In Italy they have an award that is given out each year called the Compasso d'Oro. It publicly acknowledges the contribution by designers of outstanding products made in Italy. Many of the designs that have won awards are now so fully encompassed into our every day lives that we take them for granted. Last year a Compasso d'Oro award in Italy was presented to the American designer Karim Rashid for a dresser he designed for an Italian Company. I admire the Italians for honoring their designers and giving them the acknowledgment that they deserve. Unfortunately we do not have a national award such as this in North America to foster pride in the great designers that contribute so much to the quality of our lives.

Leather Slipcovers

Leather Slipcovers

Leather Slipcover Photos from John Saladino web-site

Books by John Saladino

Villa by John Saladino Style by John Saladino

For further reading on John Saladino you might be interested in these posts:
John Saladino / Today I am Loving / Inspirational Quotes

Photos from John Saladino web-site Leather Slipcovers on Cassandra Chair / Photo from Lee Industries web-site Leather Slipcovers
Leather Resources: Holly Hunt Leather/Great Plains Leather/Edelman Leather/CC Leather/Kravet Leather/Barbara Barry Leather/Robert Allen Leather/ Beacon Hill Leather/Maxwell Fabrics Leather/Joanne Fabrics Leather/J Ennis Leather/Tritex Leather/Dragonfly Surfaces Leather/Montauk Leather/Stylus Leather

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design, architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© 2007-2009 Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog