Book Just Out: Rammed Earth Builders Could Change Construction For Good If Government Let Them

A new book has just been published about how building more rammed earth (RE) houses could change the building industry for good. These homes are good for health, they are low maintenance, fireproof, mould proof, unbelievably durable, stunning to look at and calming to live in. RE offers everything people and politicians say they need from housing.

But author Sally Webster explains that this ancient methodology (blended with modern engineering ) can’t fulfil its healthy, light footprint potential in Aotearoa because the built landscape is dominated by a trio of big timber, big insulation and big HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) whose influence appears to permeate building legislation. It hinders rammed earth’s ability to do more; unsurprisingly, RE doesn’t require much timber, insulation and in many cases, no ventilation system at all.

Building the Future; From the Ground Up follows the life, hopes and hands-on practice of a one-of-a-kind kiwi builder, Paul Geraets, with contributions from other RE associates, engineers and respected sustainable building industry names around the world. It also features a micro-survey of people who own or have owned a rammed earth home.

Additionally, much of the 154 page read shares plenty of Geraets’ Terra Firma Earh Building Co intellectual property in the hope that more builders will consider putting down their hammer and picking up a rammer instead. It’s been described as an eye-opening and, at times, entertaining ‘open source’ reference document set to help tradesmen, educators, students and prospective homeowners everywhere.

Geraets’ desire to see more people make the shift to building with rammed earth saw him take on the role of (initial) publisher and majority funder of the book – he says he distinctly remembers how influenced he was by reading even a simple brochure on RE.

“I recall that first moment when, standing on a building site 35 years ago, I was handed a brochure about rammed earth. It was life changing because I knew almost instantly this was how we could improve people’s health, drastically reduce the financial pressure in maintaining a home and support an embattled environment at the same time. I wanted to elaborate on this.” he says.

Webster has deliberately captured the character and language of this straight-talking designer-builder and his peers, laying the ground for colourful discussion on subjects like the science of thermal mass, right through to how capitalism has negatively influenced individuals’ and community’s ability for self-determination. The ex-freelance writer and now PR-for-change practitioner says the work has been an incredible learning experience; if she started out somewhat sceptical that one way of building could tick so many boxes, any doubt quickly evaporated.

“As I researched and interviewed people, I could see very quickly that rammed earth was an incredible method of building that lasted pretty much longer than anything else. It clearly required little maintenance and in most cases, didn’t need insulation in the walls or floor because of this magical thing called thermal mass,” says Webster.

“I’ve tried to explain scientific matters in plain English – I’m not interested in blinding people with academic language; I’m interested in helping people understand a socially and environmentally vital subject through storytelling. This is a book for everyone and, sure, while it’s about building with the wonderful stuff at our feet, it’s also about people and how they tackle the struggles and triumphs of building for impact in Aotearoa.”

Book distribution has just begun on a small scale – it is currently available direct to buyers from the Terra Firma website, and very soon will be available at organised public talks, libraries and selected book shops in Auckand and the Waikato.

Notes

• Paul Geraets grew up on a Waikato Dairy Farm where he learnt the basics of building, then travelled extensively, building in Australia and California before coming across rammed earth and building with it first in the Waikato. He is the Director of Terra Firma Earth Building Co Ltd and works with his sons and other skilled and unskilled labour to complete roughly two homes a year. He has designed and/or built over 100 rammed earth homes and is considered New Zealand’s most prolific RE designer-builder.
• Author Sally Webster had spent years as a freelance writer, including for NZ Herald publications. She’s broken contentious stories with Herald on Sunday such as NZ racehorses being sold as horsemeat in Europe and national mental health funding cuts, as well as written arts and culture pieces. These days, her focus is on doing social and environmental good through public relations.

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