Soils vary.

Across the land, across all sites, soil varies significantly. One soil extracted on a construction site will differ from the soil at a neighboring site.

This variability is what makes soil such a standardization challenge, making soil an inherently non-commodified building material. Indeed, the emergence of standard materials from soils is hindered by their high variability and their reliance on local additives and traditional construction methods.

Earth materials are minimally processed, uncooked, unbaked, untreated, raw. Materials are locally sourced and often processed or mixed on-site. The degree to which end-use construction products are engineered from soil varies although the soil remains the ‘feedstock’.

How do we find the common ground, the prescribed and characterized soil optimal for buildings? What is the mineralogical classification of clays most suitable, the grain distribution, and optimal mix design?

In this workshop, we will collaboratively build a rammed earth wall, comprised of the collection of soils of participants - who vary in diversity very much like their soils - to create a “common ground”.

In short, we will build a “common ground”, where students will be invited to learn about their soils and create walls from different harvested soils. Each student will harvest soil from or around their living site. We will learn how to assess these individual soils for construction. Then, we will build a series of small rammed earth “walletes” made of the different soils brought. Lastly, and depending on how the first exercise goes, we will create a collective rammed earth wall, made of the collections of soils - soils brought by students and faculty.

Daily Schedule A (Individual)

1. How to assess soils. Soil characterization. Clay and clay minerals. Shake test for a soil sample.
2. Each one brings a sample of soil from their location. We test the soils.
3. Making small walls from the soils brought - simple walls.
4. Making small walls from the soils brought - advanced walls.

Daily Schedule B (Collective)

1. How to assess soils. Soil characterization. Clay and clay minerals. Shake test for a soil sample.
2. Each one brings a sample of soil from their location. We test the soils.
3. Making small walls from the soils brought - simple walls.
4. Making a large wall from the soils - a collective wall.
5. Completion of the collective wall.