North America – Page 18 – EARTH ARCHITECTURE

December 12, 2003

Nader Khalili

Iranian born Nader Khalili, California architect/author is the world renowned Earth Architecture teacher and innovator, and author. He has been a licensed architect in the State of California since 1970, and has practiced both in the U.S. and abroad. Click here to visit Khalili’s website: Cal-Earth, The California Institute for Earth Art and Architecture.

His books, Ceramic Houses and Earth Architecture: How to Build Your Own and Racing Alone document his life of searching for a method to fire mud houses and turn them to stone by firing and glazing an entire building after it is constructed from clay-earth on site.

December 9, 2003

Los Angeles Greater Metropolitan Area Adobes

Among the Things to do in Los Angeles are visit the 103 adobe sites where adobe buildings once stood, or visit the 76 extant historic adobe structures listed by region below:

Los Angles County (12)
Orange County (10)
San Diego (17)
Santa Barbara (20)
Ventura (13)
Inland Empire (4)

December 7, 2003March 17, 2026

Rural Studio

The book, Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency documents several rammed earth structures designed and built by Auburn School of Architecture students in Hale County, Alabama.

November 23, 2003

House of Earth and Light

The House of Earth and Light, a private residence designed by Iraq-born, Phoenix Architect Marwan Al-Sayed uses a 3-layer fabric roof to bring tension and lightness to the thick poured gypsum walls. Computer renderings of the building show the proposed quality of the architecture. More information can be found here in an article by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (.pdf format).

November 9, 2003

Adobe Architecture

The North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts offers a concise history and explaination of adobe architecture.

November 9, 2003

David Easton

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The Rammed Earth House written by David Easton, describes the beauty and grace of rammed earth construction. The photographs of different structures, both modern and ancient, by Cynthia Wright, create a breathtaking glimpse into a building technique that is as old as human history, but exactly suitable for today’s resource-conscious and environmentally friendly building needs. Rammed Earth Works, established in 1978, has distinguished itself as one of the world’s leading company in the research and development of modern earth construction technologies. Founder David Easton is the internationally recognized developer of PISE, Terratile, the Easton forming system for rammed earth and cast elements, and construction systems for engineered earth walls which are code compliant and compatible with current building trades.

November 4, 2003

Center of Gravity Hall

This new teaching hall for the Bodhi Mandala Zen Center in Jemez Springs, New Mexico was designed by Predock Frane Architects of Los Angeles and uses rammed earth. The project was a recipient of a 2003 AIA/Los Angeles Design Honor Award.

October 22, 2003

South Dakota Rammed Earth

Ralph Patty, Chairman of the Agricultural Engineering Department, supervised the rammed earth research at South Dakota State College in the 1920s and 1930s. Patty’s research was published internationally as well as by SDSC and the USDA Rammed Earth Walls for Buildings- 1926 :Farmers’ Bulletin #1500.

October 1, 2003March 17, 2026

Historic South Carolina Church

Leaders of the Church of the Holy Cross off S.C. 261 in Stateburg, a 150-year-old national landmark, sued both Orkin Exterminating Co. Inc. and Terminex Service Co. Inc. as well as an architect and contractor involved in the restoration of the church. The church, built between 1850 and 1852, was declared a national landmark in 1978. The building is of particular historic significance because of its unusual construction of rammed earth known as pise de terre.

More information available here: Holy Cross Church Restored

September 29, 2003March 17, 2026

Gaudi and Wright

In the essay “The Renaissance of Rammed Earth” which was published in AMC Aspects magazine, January 2001, it is discussed that “Antonio Gaudi and Frank Lloyd Wright appreciated rammed earth. Gaudi showed great interest for the popular architecture. In 1884 he used rammed earth (called “tapial” in Spain) for the construction of the pavilions at the entrance to the farm of Eusebio Guell. Frank Lloyd Wright suggests rammed earth for the construction of buildings in his project for Broadacre City.”