I’m a big DIYer and love to learn new processes and create my own techniques, but the workshop I attended in Oracle, Arizona was amazing! Led by rammed earth pioneers, Quentin Branch and his wife and partner, Julie, taught me more than I imagined. The workshop was casual and organic and everyday our topic and hands on learning was based on our group conversations and discussions over long lunches at their home. The workshop was located where they live, teach and entertain and seeing the creativity and options of the rammed earth house in person was priceless.
Rammed earth architecture and construction has been around over 1,000 years. Earth houses are not just for the hippie types, but are gaining popularity for many of us that want to build homes that are long lasting and are in harmony with our environment. We also look forward to enjoying the luxuries of clean air, fire resistant, termite resistant and no need for air conditioning or heating costs or supplies. Sounds crazy, but it is 100% legit! I’ll post more research and interesting facts and stories soon because this is too good not to share. This building technique is the perfect blend of art, architecture and history. I love it so!
Enjoy some of the photos from the weekend and follow along as we build our own rammed earth home in Oracle, Arizona. This process fits right in with my long relationship with cement, soil and the earth. We can’t wait to get dirty with this process and build a home that is environmentally friendly and will last 1,000 years.
Learn more about the qualities of rammed earth in this article by InDesignLive
Check out Quentin and Julie’s website to learn more. http://www.rammedearthhomes.com/
rene williams art 