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The
rammed earth Eco
Centre in Holland Park
was built by a team with minimal experience but maximum enthusiasm.
Built over 10 days in the grips of sub zero temperatures the materials
were brought in prepared to the site in bulk bags. The team had to
batch load into a mixer with water to get the moisture content right,
then bucket and barrow to the formwork. Click for more images of this
rammed earth project.
The material was a grey
brick clay mixed with 'twenty to dust', a red crushed limestone. We
had to make the decision over how much equipment to use and how much
labour, it's not a very big job but still 50 tonnes. The site was also
not that big and the cost of a front end loader and driver with a
ticket to drive it all had to be taken into consideration. Rammed
earth can lend itself to many situations but these questions of what
materials, what labour, what equipment and what plant need thinking
through each time. In central London labour is expensive, but highly
flexible, in a more rural site labour may be cheaper but can it
compete with a digger and driver?
The
rammed earth build was also featured in the National Building Specification T.V.
slot
Of course building like this in the heart of London is
highly prestigious but rarely for the builder. Architects take the
credit for pretty much everything, its unusual for the builder, and
certainly the sub-contractor to get a mention at all. And yet without
this specialist knowledge the architect can do nothing. How to balance
that relationship?
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