The architect’s secondary residence demonstrates the potential and sustainability of rammed-earth construction. The two-bedroom home rises atop stone foundations and base walls; the rammed-earth walls were built within modular wooden formwork that was later re-used for interior partition walls. The earthen walls are 50-cm thick and contain a 6% additive of hydraulic lime; 15-cm of earth was set into the formwork and compressed down to 10-cm, then left to dry before continuing – construction required five months. The roof is timber beams set into the earth walls and covered with metal sheets with a ventilation space beneath. To prevent erosion by rain, the façades are coated with two coats of lime plaster, both inside and out.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
