Robert Holton: Earth Construction (Compressed Earth Blocks)

Robert Holton’s research on compressed earth blocks investigates how locally sourced earthen materials can support more sustainable, affordable, and equitable forms of housing in the US Gulf South. Across a series of architecture studios and technology-based courses at Louisiana State University, Holton frames earth construction as a response to several interconnected regional challenges: the shortage of affordable housing, the rising cost and carbon impact of industrialized building materials, the lack of skilled construction labor, and the increasing severity of climate-related storms in hot, humid coastal environments. Rather than treating earth as a material limited to historic or vernacular construction, the projects reposition compressed earth blocks as a contemporary architectural system capable of addressing material performance, environmental responsibility, and social accessibility.

The work began with an investigation into the properties of Southern Louisiana soil. Students tested local earth compositions, including sandy loam, loamy sand, and silty clay, to determine whether they fell within acceptable ranges for construction. Because some soil samples were near the margins of ideal building composition, students explored stabilizers and additives to improve strength, durability, and workability. These included cement, sand, hay, bagasse, coir, coconut fiber, and other natural materials. Bagasse, a by-product of the regional sugarcane industry, became especially significant as a sustainable additive that could strengthen blocks while reusing agricultural waste. Through crushing, sifting, mixing, compressing, curing, and testing, the research established a hands-on material process grounded in regional resources and climate conditions.

A central focus of the projects was the design and fabrication of interlocking compressed earth blocks. Students developed custom block geometries using molds, wood inserts, and manual compression methods such as the CINVA-Ram press. These blocks were designed not only as structural units, but also as spatial and environmental devices. Variations included L-shaped, T-shaped, U-shaped, diamond, H-shaped, Duck, Bow Tie, and Zig Zag blocks. Each geometry tested different possibilities for stacking, interlocking, bonding, porosity, light filtration, airflow, surface texture, and assembly logic.

The L-shaped wall, inspired by the windcatchers of Yazd, Iran used mirrored courses and angled voids to appear solid from the front while allowing light, air, and views to pass through from oblique angles. The H-shape block used vertical holes and all-thread rods to create a mechanically fastened wall without mortar, allowing light and air to filter through the assembly. The Duck block used horizontal voids and PVC fastening to create a more solid wall surface with improved dimensional accuracy. The Bow Tie block produced a deeper, textured surface through larger three-dimensional units, while the Zig Zag block relied on interlocking tabs and grooves, creating an undulating wall with strong visual depth but greater fabrication difficulty. Other assemblies explored solid surfaces, deep relief, undulating walls, and mechanically fastened systems.

The research also addressed the question of who can build with compressed earth blocks. Traditional masonry often depends on skilled labor and mortar-based construction, both of which can be costly and difficult to access. Holton’s projects therefore explored dry-stacked, interlocking, and mechanically fastened assemblies that could be constructed by students or minimally trained individuals. Mechanical systems using PVC voids, all-thread rods, anchors, nuts, and coupling devices allowed several wall prototypes to be assembled without mortar. These experiments demonstrated that earth block construction can become more accessible while still producing structurally stable wall assemblies. At the same time, the work revealed ongoing challenges, including block tolerance, surface irregularity, drying time, cracking, mold precision, and the need for further testing at larger building scales.

Together, these projects position compressed earth block construction as both a material research agenda and a design methodology. The work connects local soil, regional industry, student fabrication, architectural geometry, and housing prototypes into a broader argument for ecological and social responsibility. By combining full-scale making with architectural design, Holton’s research demonstrates that earthen materials can be reimagined for contemporary housing, offering a low-carbon, cost-conscious, and contextually responsive alternative to conventional construction in the US Gulf South.

Citations:

May 13, 2026

Wattle and Daub: Study on Application and Representation

ARCH 169- Final Project

This project was an exploration of the different applications of wattle and daub, more specifically the different densities and the permeability that can be achieved. The first step was testing the possible densities and permeability of just the wattle through both tight and spaced weaving patterns. The different patterns show that there can be different real world applications for wattle outside of just structural walls. These patterns suggest the potential for partition walls, curtain walls, doors, screens, and just regular bases for the application of daub. Next was applying the daub to the screens through two applications. The first is a mud wash on a tightly weaved screen and the second is a mud infill/casting on a screen with spaced weaving.

The applications explored above were later explored at a larger scale with a section model of a corner showing how the spaced and tight weaving meet and how they interact with the daub. The model shows the different layers that make up a wattle and daub wall, also showing the instances where the wattle can just exist without the daub.

-Project by Brianna Rodriguez-Torres

May 12, 2026May 12, 2026

Mud, Rockite, and Wood: A Study and Model of Earth Materials

Our project and model arises from a study about the intersection between mud with high clay content used to make adobe bricks and it’s relationship to the earth adjacent materials of wood and rockite.

This project was inspired by a corner in room 5 of the Macha Village Center, which uses all three materials in a very cohesive, layered manner. However, instead of using rammed earth (the earthen material in the Macha Village Center), our adobe was inspired by dried, cracked, sun-baked earth and its unique pattern in desert environments. Our bricks are meant to resemble the rugged natural landscape, as opposed to the clean, uniform look of many adobe brick projects.

We used a cardboard form reinforced with wood panels to create the rockite base. We used a the laser-cutter for the layers of wood. For the adobe, we used 6 thin forms and let the abode crack in natural ways when releasing the material from form. Our adobe was high in clay content, and we mixed in a lemon starry soda hoping to make the bricks lighter in color.

We were interested in our models functionality as a building; however, the unique dimensions of this project make habitability difficult. Our model is best viewed as an art piece, an homage to the ancient technique of adobe brick making and its intersection with common construction materials in contemporary buildings.

The adobe bricks to the right of our model serve as an example of the aforementioned clean, uniform abode bricks and highlight the contrast in our approach to the material.

May 11, 2026May 11, 2026

Prototyping Modular Rammed Earth Furniture

Timeline

Spring 2026 – Summer 2026

Project Description

This project consists of a series of experiments aimed at prototyping a design for a rammed-earth coffee table.

Intended to adhere to a series of constituents concerning weight, modularity, and color, this rammed earth prototype was designed such that it could be disassembled into smaller, more manageable components. These constraints led the designers to a prototypical model consisting of cylindrical blocks weighed down by a raw stone tabletop, ensuring that each module remains in compression and does not shift. The blocks themselves are rammed into a formwork, creating handles for carrying, easing transportation. Each module weighs ~35lbs and features a mixture of pigments that create a customizable gradient.

Ratios and Gradients

This project also sought to examine the aesthetic sensibilities of rammed earth as a construction material for furniture. Prototyping rammed-earth furniture necessitated extensive studies concerning the mixture of different soils and pigments to create colorful gradients for each module.

Rough, rocky earthen qualities are achieved through a basic mixture of soil from varying regions, alongside ~15% sand, ~20% gravely clay to provide enrichment. These mixtures were then enriched with increasing quantities of pigment (including charcoal and iron) to allow each rammed layer to take on a more saturated color during the production of each earthen module.

Form-work and “Molds”

The contents of rammed earth require a formwork to take on the desired shape after settling. The foundation of this formwork, chosen for its size, shape, and flexibility, was a concrete form tube, often known by its brand name of Sonotube. These form tubes come in a variety of different sizes, meaning that the techniques we developed to create these rammed earth pieces can be transferred based on the desired scale.

If we had just used the sonotube, the outcome would simply be a cylinder. The next step was incorporating the physical additions that allow for handling and modularity. Utilizing 3d prints as a negative, mixed in with conventional building techniques such as cut and shaped wood, inserts were created that fit into the sonotube to create indents and features in the otherwise normal cylinder. These included handling grips, for ease of movement of the final product, to central cavities, reducing the overall weight, and even attempts at projections on the top surface to fit right into the handling grips, to help with positioning and balance of the pieces once put together.

May 11, 2026May 11, 2026

Project Lithos — (3d Printed Form Work)

Group Member: Chuhan Zhao, Yiluo Li

We started from the Augsburg Environmental Education Center, where rammed earth is used as an interior wall. In that project, we observed that different materials—such as wood or concrete—are typically placed next to or on top of the rammed earth. In other words, the materials remain separate, and their interaction mostly happens at the surface.

Hess / Talhof / Kumierz Website: Umweltbildungszentrum
Augsburg – Transition from Botanical Garden

Hess / Talhof / Kumierz Website: Umweltbildungszentrum
Augsburg Interior

What interested us was what happens if this relationship changes.

So our main question became:

What happens when materials are not adjacent to rammed earth, but embedded within it?

Instead of treating rammed earth as a pure, monolithic material, we began to think of it as a mass that can integrate other systems and become a composite condition.

To test this idea, we first made an initial model of a curved rammed-earth wall with a grid inserted into it. This allowed us to explore the relationship between a heavy, continuous mass and a lighter, secondary system. Rather than assigning a fixed program, we understood this as a spatial condition defined by material interaction.

From there, we moved toward a smaller and more controlled scale and developed the final objects you see below.

This object is not intended as a product or a finished design, but as a material prototype.

It consists of a rammed earth mass with an embedded element, and a central cavity that holds a light source. The inserted ring acts as an interface within the earth mass, and the light passes through this composite condition.

What becomes important here is not the form itself, but how light interacts with the material. The light reveals the thickness, the texture, and the relationship between the earth and the inserted element.

At this scale, we are able to control the variables more precisely and focus on how rammed earth behaves when it is no longer a single material, but part of a system.

So rather than designing a lamp, we are using light as a way to understand how a monolithic material can become composite, and how that affects spatial and material experience.

May 9, 2026May 9, 2026

Detail Study & Modeling Of Rammed Earth House

Section Model of Rammed Earth House Designed by Tuckey Design Studio

Project Introduction

Group Member: Wentao Lyu , Tianwu Zheng , Zuohao Qiu

This research explores the construction logic and tectonic characteristics of rammed earth architecture through precedent analysis, detail studies, and physical model experimentation. The project focuses on the relationship between rammed earth walls, timber structures, openings, and material connections.

A 1:10 sectional model and a series of material tests were developed to study fabrication methods, construction details, and the integration of different building systems within rammed earth construction.

Research Framework

01 — Fabrication Process of Rammed Earth Walls

Study of rammed earth wall construction, including soil mixture, layering, moisture control, and compaction methods.

02 — Connection Logic Between Earth and Other Systems

Investigation of how rammed earth walls connect with timber structures, roof assemblies, foundations, and waterproofing details.

03 — Integration of Openings within Load-Bearing Walls

Analysis of window openings and structural transitions within thick rammed earth wall systems.

Modeling & Material Experiments

Sectional Model

Development of a 1:10 sectional model combining rammed earth walls, timber framing, and window details to study tectonic relationships and construction sequencing.

Material Testing

Material experiments focusing on soil ratios, wetness testing, compaction techniques, and layered rammed earth fabrication at model scale.

May 7, 2026

PROGRAMMED DECAY: DESIGNING INTENTIONAL EROSION IN EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE

This erosion study began with an observation of the oldest sections of the Great Wall of China, where layers of straw and mud eroded at different rates over thousands of years, revealing soft, undulating patterns beneath the surface. Rather than seeing erosion as decay, the project explores it as a design tool. Through a series of material experiments, clay bricks were cast with embedded elements—including sugar, salt, wax, leaves, and wood—that dissolve, melt, burn, or persist over time. Some materials outlast the earthen surface, while others disappear quickly, leaving behind voids and textures. The work imagines earthen architecture as something dynamic and time-based, where patterns slowly emerge through weathering and environmental change.

Catalina Lusk

May 7, 2026May 7, 2026

Chunk Model Study of Nursery School at Roches de Condrieu

Group Member: Zhixuan Zhou (MAAD) & Yushi Gan (MAAD)

We constructed a 1:1 scale model of a rammed earth wall corner for the Nursery School at Roches de Condrieu project. Our objective was to explore the actual construction process involved. The region where this project is situated is characterized by traditional local rural architecture built using rammed earth.

We fabricated the rammed earth molds using a combination of plywood and 3D-printed components. We then proceeded by ramming a layer of earth, followed by pouring Rockite cement; this process was repeated three times to complete the final model.

Although traditional construction methods might not typically incorporate modern techniques such as 3D printing, our fabrication process proved instructive, allowing us to gain valuable insights into the integration of two distinct construction methodologies: rammed earth and poured casting.

Project Archdaily

Architect Website

April 7, 2026April 7, 2026

Zawiyyet Al Mayyiteen, the City of the Dead

Zawiyyet Al Mayyiteen (also known as Zawyet el-Sultan or Zawyet el-Amwat) is located on the southern edge of the city of Minya and is situated between the Nile river and desert cliffs to the East. Often called the “City of the Dead,” it is considered one of the largest cemeteries in the world, measuring nearly 4 kilometers long and 300 meters wide, covering roughly 1.2 square kilometers. Zawiyyet Al Mayyiteen is not just a modern cemetery; it is built atop layers of ancient history spanning nearly 5,000 years.

The cemetery is 4 kilometers long and 300 meters wide and is situated between the Nile and Desert Cliffs.

The site is easily identifiable by the repetition of small scaled domes made of mudbricks and plaster. Each domed mausoleum belongs to a different family and ancestral lineage. The highly concentrated sea of domes is easily read as a single web structure or pattern resembling the geological landscape, its growth seems fairly gradual and responsive to the site.

Looking at the Nile from within the cemetery.

This style of burial is traditional for the region, used by both the local Muslim and Coptic Christian communities, making it a rare site of shared funerary heritage.

During religious holidays and annual festivals, thousands of people from Minya travel to the site to visit their ancestors, often staying in the mausoleums to share meals and offer prayers.

Mudbrick and plaster in various conditions.

The unique aesthetic of the domes has long inspired artists and photographers. The nearby village is also home to the museum of the famous Egyptian folk artist Hassan el-Shark, whose colorful paintings often depict the daily life and spiritual traditions of the Minya region.

Resources

https://www.jennyfaraway.com/el-minya-cemetery/

https://arquitecturaviva.com/articles/necropolis-de-egipto-de-manuel-alvarez-diestrohttps://www.egypttoursportal.com/en-us/blog/minya-attractions/the-great-attractions-of-minya/

https://egyptfwd.org/Article/6/2265/City-Of-The-Dead-An-Endless-Sea-Of-White-Conical

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/city-of-the-dead

https://www.google.com/maps/place/

April 7, 2026April 7, 2026

Aseer Regional Architecture

Asir, or officially the Aseer Province in Saudi Arabia, was incorporated into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1934. has a population of 2.2 million. The province has a long history with artifacts dating to the bronze age. The region is known for its tribal independence, agriculture, and high-altitude culture, situated on a high plateau.

The Aseer region is characterized by a cooler climate with considerable seasonal rain. It has approximately 400 traditional settlements, many located on the high plateau at altitudes greater than 2000 meters. Buildings generally took the form of square, multistory towers. Four principal construction types developed based on the local microclimate and available materials: mud tower houses, stone rubble houses, stone apron houses, and mud and slate tower buildings.

Rijal Almaa is a town that emerged 900 ye ars ago and, given its strategic location on the route to Mecca from Yemen, it became a place of commercial exchange. The buildings are composed of stone, mud, and wood, and are constructed up to six floors. They are detailed with with white window frames, wooden shutterns, and decorative mofits, details that are characteristic of the region.

Rijal Almaa Heritage Village consists of around 60 traditional stone, mud, and wood buildings.

White window frames and checkered details

Typical houses in the mountainous Asir province were made of mud reinforced with camel hair. The lower areas of the buildings were made from stone, with smaller flat stones wedged between bigger ones. The upper areas have a local flat stone between the bricks. Plaster was usually applied to the outside of the building to cover the mud bricks.

Al-Qatt Al-Asiri is a traditional interior wall decoration of the region. It is a spontaneous art technique carried out largely by women. It is typically practiced on rooms of visiting guests. Women invite female relatives of various age groups to help them in their homes, thereby transmitting this knowledge from generation to generation. The base is usually white gypsum and the patterns consist of icons of geometric shapes and symbols.

The Saudi government has developed set of architectural and urban guidelines and requirements that help guide the design and urban development process to align with the authentic local architectural style of each geographic area across the Kingdom. Guidelines, maps, and more information can be found here: https://architsaudi.dasc.gov.sa/ar

Aseer Escarpment, Architectural Design Guidelines

Aseer Escarpment, Architectural Design Guidelines, Page 14

Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, female traditional interior wall decoration in Asir, Saudi Arabia

Craftsmanship of decorated wooden doors reflects Aseer’s artistic heritage

Rijal Almaa Heritage Village in Assir Region