e r n e s t o c a r v a j a l
MSc I Architect
RAMMED EARTH GREENHOUSE
Location: Calderon - Ecuador
Client: Private
Area: 15m2
Year: 2018
The project aimed to activate a piece of land that had been neglected for years. The idea is to build several greenhouses using rammed earth walls in order to reduce material costs and to minimize the material sourcing from other areas.
The first greenhouse was designed and built with the client. One of the most valuable outcomes was the sense of ownership the client had at the end of the project.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
The idea of building with rammed earth was to take advantage of the great thermal mass created by the wall material and thickness and to reincorporate one of the region’s traditional building techniques.
The wall geometry was the result of three used wood formworks that were stored in the client’s property. This approach altered the original design but helped to decrease construction costs and time.
The rammed earth wall is composed of 80% soil from the site and 20% portland cement. The idea was to use fewer stabilizers, but due to the sandy quality of the soil, it was necessary to increase the percentage of Portland cement.
The remaining structure, roof, and walls defined the rest of the project by using their standard dimensions and minimizing construction waste.
RAMMED EARTH WALL
GREAT THERMAL MASS
WOOD FRAME/STRUCTURE
STANDARD SIZE MATERIALS
TRANSLUCENT MATERIALS
TO MAXIMIZE DAYLIGHT
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