
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.