With the proper know-how, readily available earth, sand, chalk, lime, or gravel can yield a versatile, strong, and durable construction material. Its colorful results vary from region to region, depending on the natural soil component, climate, and treatment. While some prefer to minimize any added processing, others relish the exploration of rammed earth surfaces. Different textures and mesmerizing layers of multitoned or multicolored earth can be used to create a solid surface that enriches the visual quality of a space and carries a sense of warmth to any project.
In recent times, this ancient construction technique has recurrently been revived by global architects and designers that are opting for rammed earth as a visually stimulating addition, combined with complementary raw materials ( such as wood or concrete) but also as a sustainable alternative, such as in these 50 colorful Rammed Earth projects.
Red
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Colors Of the Earth: Ghana's Incredible, Rammed Earth WallsPAMS Healthcare Hub, Newman / Kaunitz Yeung Architecture
Café House / TETRO Arquitetura
Sanitary Complex Faculty of Architecture, Design and Art of the National University of Asunción / Alberto Martinez + Guido Villalba + Yago García + tda
Mirikina House / José Cubilla
Clos Romanile Winery / Touton Architectes
Witklipfontein Eco Lodge / GLH Architects
66° North Flagship Store / Gonzalez Haase Architects
Valois Building / José Cubilla
Ovenbird House / BAUEN
Luce and Pablo's House / Mínimo Común Arquitectura
Jack Fruit Garden Residence / Wallmakers
Orange
Lung Vai School / 1+1>2 Architects
House in Cunha / Arquipélago Arquitetos
Montemor House / Brasil Arquitetura
Yellow
Earth Farmhouse / Studio Verge
Circular Brick House with Rammed Earth Wall / AST 77 Architecten
Beige
Morocco Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai / OUALALOU+CHOI
Casa Ballena Art Center / RIMA Design Group
Village Collective Housing / No10-Architects
Vigna Maggiore / Orma Architettura
ReYard House / Team Bosphorus from Turkey
Moonah Tree House / Kirby Architects
Wood and Rammed Earth Nursery / Atelier Régis Roudil Architectes
Edgars Creek House / Breathe Architecture
Aireys House / Studio Nicholas Burns
The Tourist Service Station of Tangshan Ape Man Cave / AESEU Architectural Technology and Art studio
Innovative Lab of Architecture & Art / CLAB
Pink
Mud House / Sketch Design Studio
Modus Operandi Merewether Brewery / Prevalent
Above Board Living / Luigi Rosselli Architects
TANAH Pottery Studio / Blancostudio
Earth-Ship House / Luigi Rosselli Architects
Brown
Dos Hijas Gallery / CLACLÁ Taller de Arquitectura: Claudia Turrent y Axel De La Torre
La Luciernaga House / uno más uno + Moro Taller de Arquitectura
Dapi Mountain Pavilion / Galaxy Arch
Rammed Earth Yoga Studio / Invisible Studio
Casa Sal / RIMA Design Group
Community Hall of Dahei New Village / One University One Village
Gray
A Natural Pavilion / ReVærk
Thirteenth Beach House / MGAO
Golden Vale House / J Mammone Architecture
Kiln Tower for the Brickworks Museum / Boltshauser Architekten
Multicolored
Meethi-Mishti nu Mati Ghar / SferaBlu Architects + Naman Shah Architects
The Earth House / Art and Architecture Associates
Earth House / TAY Arquitetura Ecológica
Green School South Africa / GASS Architecture Studios
Restaurant 0 / studio Kuidas.works
Frammed Earth House / D'WELL
Nikon Shanghai Flagship / Lukstudio
House of Concrete Experiments / Samira Rathod Design Atelier
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Color in Architecture presented by Sto.
Material, texture, sheen, and color are inseparable – the identity of a building becomes clear in an Architect’s choices of how these come together. Considering the lifecycle of a building from design, occupation, and legacy, we understand that achieving the right expression is tantamount to the success of a building. Sto’s innovative materials and data-driven color system complement design ambitions with technical knowledge and rigorous testing, to offer possibilities, accuracy, and longevity when Building in Color.
Produced by Sto, the short documentary ‘Building in Colour’ is a cinematic exploration into the role of materials and color in architecture, taking the work of Stirling Prize-winning architect Michael Wilford CBE (1938 – 2023) as its starting point.
Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
Note: This article was originally published on November 25, 2018, and updated on August 23, 2023.
