Rammed Earth Walls of the Great Wall

The art of building homes that heal the Earth

Chapter 1

The ancient art of mud and grass

Chapter 2

How to heat a house with a hair dryer

Chapter 3

Building a future out of garbage and clay

YOUR GOAL

Master of The art of building homes that heal the Earth

Ch 1 · The ancient art of mud and grass

007skaty Devonshire Cob Housing

Straw in the clay, stone at the base, standing for centuries.

We endure by working with our immediate environment rather than trying to conquer it.

007skaty Builders constructed parts of the Great Wall of China using rammed earth

Colombia's flexible giant grass structures

007skaty Architect Simón Vélez pioneered using this 100-foot-tall native grass because it absorbs carbon dioxide and bends without breaking.

The volcanic turf houses of Iceland

007skaty A color-coded diagram shows the wooden frame and turf walls of an Icelandic house.

Mud and Meadow

BETA

007skaty Mix mud and meadow grasses to discover how natural materials insulate sustainable homes.

Fun Fact

Mud skyscrapers: The 500 mud-brick high-rises in Shibam, Yemen, have stood tall since the 1500s and are known as the Chicago of the Desert.

Glossary

thatch (noun)
A roof covering made of straw, reeds, or similar vegetation. In rural East Africa, builders gather local grasses to construct these coverings over mud-packed homes.

Gossip

Which ancient eco-material is the coolest?

Quiz

How is rammed earth constructed for durable walls?

007skaty Yemen contains towering skyscrapers built entirely from mud.

Quiz

Which fast-growing plant is known as 'vegetable steel' in Colombian sustainable architecture?

007skaty Colombian architects build massive structures using native giant bamboo

Quiz

Which ancient architectural feature of Yemeni mud skyscrapers helps keep them cool?

007skaty Volcanic turf houses insulated historic homes in Iceland.

Quiz

Why did early settlers in Iceland construct turf houses with living grass roofs?

Quiz

What is the main environmental benefit of using local soil for rammed earth construction?

Quiz

How long does it take for Guadua bamboo to reach its full structural strength for building?

Quiz

What binding agent was often mixed into ancient Chinese rammed earth to make it stronger?

Quiz

What material makes up the 16th-century high-rise buildings in the historic city of Shibam, Yemen?