I learned about rammed earth and wattle and daub techniques while participating in the earthen house workshop of the UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture.

 

On the first day, we built a rammed earth wall, which involved screwing pieces of wood together to build a wooden formwork. After rolling up lightweight insulation and tying it with wire mesh to prevent it from floating and disrupting the ramming process, we prepared the earthen materials for the rammed earth wall by mixing soil, sand and lime with a small amount of water. After pouring around 10-15cm of this earthen mixture into one layer of the wooden formwork, we rammed it hard, layer by layer, and embedded insulation between the layers.

 

On days 2-5, we built the remaining walls with wattle and daub. We erected wooden frames first and inserted insulation between them. We covered the external surface of the walls with layers of waterproofing to prevent moisture from decaying the wooden frames. We attached wooden bars horizontally to the external walls with 3-4cm gaps between them and daubed them with the earthen mixture. After allowing the first plaster to dry for a few days, the final plastering was completed by applying a mixture of earthen materials and natural glue (water, flour, and salt) 

As for the interior, we covered the walls with gypsum boards and attached fibrous mesh to them. (The mesh enhanced the adhesion of the earthen materials on top of it) We then plastered the walls with fine earthen materials using a plastering trowel.

 

On the last day, we worked on finishing the floor by laying wire mesh on it and tying it with heating pipes. Finally, we covered it with a mixture of earthen materials and self-levelling compounds.