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Architect April Magill of Root Down Designs.  Sitting in the window sill of Charleston's first Rammed Earth House:  The Walters Residence.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Architect April Magill of Root Down Designs.  Sitting in the window sill of Charleston's first Rammed Earth House:  The Walters Residence.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Rammed Earth Architecture with Architect April Magill

October 16, 2016

 

GOD made DIRT and DIRT don't HURT!

This was a fun one.  My old architecture pal April Magill of Root Down Designs has designed a rammed earth house that is currently under construction on Johns Island.  Danielle and I went out to visit with April and learn about rammed earth and to see this kick-ass project.  I have also created a separate post about April and her work with Root Down Designs at:

http://www.buildingsarecool.com/new-blog/april-magill

Front elevation of the Walters Residence on Johns Island.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos.

Front elevation of the Walters Residence on Johns Island.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos.

I had studied rammed earth construction a little while in graduate school and I have seen these buildings in glossy magazines like Architectural Record, but I have never seen one in person.  There are not many rammed earth projects on the East Coast so April is definitely a trail-blazer.  Which is a bit ironic because as we will find out in the interview, rammed earth construction has been around forever!

In this blog, I interview April on the basics of rammed earth construction and learn about Charleston South Carolina's first rammed earth building: the Walters Residence.

Not all of my readers are architects so before we get into the interview I thought I should answer the question:

So what is Rammed Earth Construction?

The very dumbed down Steve Ramos definition:

Rammed earth construction uses dirt to build walls.   

Ok...so there is a little more to this.  

Rammed earth is like the hippie cousin of concrete construction.  Similar to concrete, rammed earth consists of a mixture of cement, large aggregates (usually gravel), small aggregates (sand) and water, except that rammed earth also includes earth.  

This is the mixture used in the construction of the Walters Residence by April Magill.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

This is the mixture used in the construction of the Walters Residence by April Magill.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Of course earth is a more sophisticated way of saying dirt!  

The dirt is usually a composition of clay and silt.  Concrete has a consistency that is similar to a milk shake whereas rammed earth is much more dense and dry like brownie batter.

Like concrete, the rammed earth mix is poured in between temporary formwork.  The mix is then rammed or tamped to make it more dense and compressed.  This is done in layers.  The rammed earth wall will cure just like a concrete wall and the result is a wall with a very high compressive strength. .. i.e. it is as strong as a mofo.   

And that is my dumbed down explanation of rammed earth.  There are a ton of benefits to this type of construction, which April will explain in the interview below.

Without futher adieu.......Rammed Earth Architecture with April Magill

Architect April Magill standing in the doorway of the Walters Residence currently under construction.  This house is the first rammed earth building in Charleston.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Architect April Magill standing in the doorway of the Walters Residence currently under construction.  This house is the first rammed earth building in Charleston.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

 

1.     How did you ever convince your client to consider rammed earth construction?

 

AM:  On this particular project (the Walters Residence), the builder (Joe Faust) actually had the conversation with her (Sue Walters, the client) first.  

The Walters Residence on Johns Island in South Carolina.  The house sits on a very rural site as you can see.  .   Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

The Walters Residence on Johns Island in South Carolina.  The house sits on a very rural site as you can see.  .   Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Joe and I have known each other for years and we've shared a common interest in earthen construction, specifically Rammed Earth.  Joe met Sue through a common friend and Sue was researching affordable options for housing on her land; she found that she could put a trailer out there for $40k.  Joe heard this and said,' Sue, I'll build you a Rammed Earth home for $40k!'  (It will cost more than $40k.)  

The Walters Residence.  The exterior walls are rammed earth up to the top of the windows where there is a continuous concrete header.  The walls sit on a concrete foundation.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

The Walters Residence.  The exterior walls are rammed earth up to the top of the windows where there is a continuous concrete header.  The walls sit on a concrete foundation.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Joe brought me in and the 3 of us sat and discussed Rammed Earth and I think we were pretty convincing. I left the room and called the Charleston County Building department and spoke with Bob Howell about our potential plans; he assured me that with proper engineering and architectural plans he did not see problems with permitting this home. This was the selling point for Sue and she was all in!  

On other Rammed Earth projects I've designed, the client has contacted me as they already had the interest and I did not need to convince.

 

 

The Walters Residence.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

The Walters Residence.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

 

2.  Can you tell me about the design of the Walters Residence?   And provide some detail on size, cost, etc?

 

AM:  The home was designed with affordability in mind, therefore, it is a very simple plan: a 600sf rectangle with a 12:12 metal gable roof and 2 shed roof porches on each end.  

Rendering of the Walters Residence by April Magill of Root Down Designs.

Rendering of the Walters Residence by April Magill of Root Down Designs.

 

The dimensions are designed to work with the formwork, as to re-use the forms over and over and reduce any waste.  The kitchen & living space is set in an open floor plan with cathedral ceilings. There is a bedroom and bathroom/laundry space with a 200sf loft above. The total square footage when adding in porches and loft comes to 1200sf.  

The home is set on a true east/west axis, with the entrance facing east and framing the view of a large Live Oak tree.  Passive Solar/Cooling strategies are incorporated into the design.

Plan rendering of the Walters Residence by April Magill. 

Plan rendering of the Walters Residence by April Magill. 

We are anticipating the total cost to be around $75k-$80k (not including septic or permitting costs). We are tracking all costs; we will also track energy consumption for an entire year and then document our findings.  We believe a safe estimate to be $100/sf for RE construction.

Construction time is yet to be determined, but anticipate the total build taking approx. 6 months with 2 builders on site.

All of my rammed earth projects have been structurally engineered by John Moore of 4S E Engineering and special testing by soil consultants Inc.

 

 

3.  What are 5 reasons why rammed earth should be considered?

 

AM:  FIVE?! Can I add a few more?:

  1. rot proof
  2. mold/mildew proof
  3. termite proof
  4. fire proof
  5. healthy, non-toxic air quality void of any chemical off-gassing
  6. above-average thermal/energy performance
  7. low carbon footprint
  8. relatively maintenance free
Interior view of the Walters Residence.  One thing to point out is that the rammed earth is the structure of the wall and will also be the finish on both the exterior side and the interior.  Traditional wood framing was used above the window headers.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Interior view of the Walters Residence.  One thing to point out is that the rammed earth is the structure of the wall and will also be the finish on both the exterior side and the interior.  Traditional wood framing was used above the window headers.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

 

4.    What were some of the challenges you have had working with rammed earth construction?

 

AM:  The biggest challenge is convincing the public that RE (Rammed Earth Construction) works in our climate.

There's a misconception that RE only works in arid climates like New Mexico. RE dates back 7,000 years and along side Adobe is the oldest building method in the world, and still being used today.

The Walters Residence.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

The Walters Residence.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

RE has been built on 6 of the 7 continents and in almost every climate region, including hot and humid.  Even more interesting, the southeast of the US, specifically SC, has its own RE history of 150+ year old structures built with RE, which are still standing today and are in good shape.  

Clemson even published research on RE construction in the 1950's and rumor has it that Clemson is either currently building with, or plans to build with RE on campus. So the 'proof is in the pudding.' 

 

Interior of the Walters Residence.  On the left side of the photo you can see the loft.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos.

Interior of the Walters Residence.  On the left side of the photo you can see the loft.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos.

 

5.    What are some other sustainable design strategies that you believe are low-hanging fruit in Charleston?

 

AM:  Whether a client is seeking an alternative/natural structure, or something very conventional, there is always an opportunity to incorporate Passive Solar and Cooling strategies (I like to call this common sense planning), minimizing square footage by designing really efficient spaces, zoning the building into different sections so we are not heating and cooling spaces not in use, and trying to source local/regional building materials as well as tapping into our Charleston artisans and craftsmen.

Check out the depth on those window sills!  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

Check out the depth on those window sills!  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos

 

6. I grew up hearing that ‘God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt.’

Then I recall the late rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard saying, “God made dirt and dirt bust your ass.”    Well which is it?

AM:  BOTH!  

Dirt don't hurt, it's true.  Dirt is a fun and interesting building medium to work with. Once you begin to understand the properties of dirt and how it works as a building material, and how it can be altered to form different kinds of methods and materials, it's simply amazing!  

Detail view of the rammed earth walls on the Walters Residence by architect April Magill of Root Down Designs.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos.

Detail view of the rammed earth walls on the Walters Residence by architect April Magill of Root Down Designs.  Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos.

I lead Natural Building workshops a few times a year, and I have seen stiff, serious white dudes transform into a playful, giggling 'child' when working with dirt!  It brings out the inner-child in everyone.

But ODB (RIP) is also correct. Dirt WILL bust your ass! It's heavy, it's dense, and if you are working with it....be it, rammed earth, adobe, plaster work, clay paints.....it will exhaust you.  

For eons people have built with dirt by hand and with simple hand tools, luckily we live in a modern world full of heavy equipment and technology which significantly reduces the labor.  There are extremely large contractor teams on the west coast and in other parts of the world who are building large commercial projects with Rammed Earth; they are using bobcats, front-loaders, and pneumatic tampers so that the dirt won't bust their asses.

 

Steve's Wrap Up

Whoa!  That was awesome!!  What a cool building and an awesome architect!

We spent most of our time talking about the details and the technical aspects of rammed earth.  But I was also admiring the architectural and aesthetic qualities of this building.

I especially appreciated the depth of the walls.  These walls were 2' thick.  2'!  Conventional construction is often less than 12".  There is an amazing sense of permanence that is created by this thickness.  Not to mention that these deep window sills will be awesome little nooks for seating and whatnot.

Photo Credit: Danielle Ramos

Photo Credit: Danielle Ramos

 

I am very excited to see the finished product and hope that more rammed earth buildings are built as a result of the Walters Residence.

April's passion and work is very inspirational.  The world needs more architects pushing the envelope and developing sustainable architecture.

But what is most impressive about April is that she is pushing the envelope while being a mother of two and a solo entrepreneur in a male dominated industry.  

April Magill is the real deal!

From left to right:  Me, April's daughter Wren, and April Magill. Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos 

From left to right:  Me, April's daughter Wren, and April Magill. Photo Credit:  Danielle Ramos 

To read more about April check out:

http://www.buildingsarecool.com/new-blog/april-magill

Give April a shout:

April can be reached at akatmagill@gmail.com or you can check her out at:

http://www.lowcountrynaturalbuilding.com/

 

As always I appreciate your time and hope you'll consider sharing this blog with a bud.

Cheers!

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Hello, my name is Steve Ramos.  This site is about what it's like to be a young architect in Charleston, South Carolina.  In 10 years, I will write about what it is like to be a middle-age architect. 

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Good morning from Elliott Street!  This handsome devil is a newish building that has some great brick details.  How about some brick terminology?  At the heads of the windows and doors at the 2nd and 3rd floor you will see what is called a ‘Jack Arch’ or some call it a ‘Flat Arch.’. Rather than a typical round arch the jack arch angles the bricks to create a keystone effect in which it can actually support the wall above.  Look up at the top of the building and you will see banding.  This banding is created by gradually stepping out the brick like a game of jenga.  This stepping of the brick is called corbelling or one may say brick corbels.  One last 🧱 term, this brownish colored brick is referred to as Savannah Grey and is very common in the Low-country.  And there you have it folks.  #themoreyouknow🌈
Good morning from Elliott Street! This handsome devil is a newish building that has some great brick details. How about some brick terminology? At the heads of the windows and doors at the 2nd and 3rd floor you will see what is called a ‘Jack Arch’ or some call it a ‘Flat Arch.’. Rather than a typical round arch the jack arch angles the bricks to create a keystone effect in which it can actually support the wall above. Look up at the top of the building and you will see banding. This banding is created by gradually stepping out the brick like a game of jenga. This stepping of the brick is called corbelling or one may say brick corbels. One last 🧱 term, this brownish colored brick is referred to as Savannah Grey and is very common in the Low-country. And there you have it folks. #themoreyouknow🌈
Good morning from South of Broad!  Another photo where I can't remember the street.  I believe it was either Church or State?  #punny  This #singlehouseoftheday has got something that is very rare in Charleston.......a front yard!  One of the biggest differences between urban design and suburban design is that in the city, the buildings are right up on the street, whereas in the burbs the buildings are set back from the street.  This is certainly the case in Charleston.  It is one of the things that makes are streets so beautiful.  The buildings line up like soldiers (soldier buildings we call um) and form an urban wall that makes the street feel like a room.  Now, occasionally there is a home that bucks the system and has a front yard like this guy.  And good for them! Yards are awesome.  When I am on my urban safaris I am often enamored by the landscaping and hardscaping of these little yards and driveways.  Buildings are cool...but so are gardens and even driveways if done well.  In fact, when I give folks tours South of Broad I find them most amazed with the driveways and mini-gardens.  #gardensarecool
Good morning from South of Broad! Another photo where I can't remember the street. I believe it was either Church or State? #punny This #singlehouseoftheday has got something that is very rare in Charleston.......a front yard! One of the biggest differences between urban design and suburban design is that in the city, the buildings are right up on the street, whereas in the burbs the buildings are set back from the street. This is certainly the case in Charleston. It is one of the things that makes are streets so beautiful. The buildings line up like soldiers (soldier buildings we call um) and form an urban wall that makes the street feel like a room. Now, occasionally there is a home that bucks the system and has a front yard like this guy. And good for them! Yards are awesome. When I am on my urban safaris I am often enamored by the landscaping and hardscaping of these little yards and driveways. Buildings are cool...but so are gardens and even driveways if done well. In fact, when I give folks tours South of Broad I find them most amazed with the driveways and mini-gardens. #gardensarecool
Good morning from King Street!  You know that it is @sewechs weekend when you see a fella carving a wood duck in front of the @audubonsociety gallery.  Head over to Marion Square this weekend to see all the cool wildlife and neat things.  And if you are like us 8 years ago, walk by @mdumasandsons and accidentally buy one of the puppies in the window from @charlestonanimalsociety  Best accident that ever happened.  Cheers and have a great weekend !!!! #dailydoseofcharleston #sewe
Good morning from King Street! You know that it is @sewechs weekend when you see a fella carving a wood duck in front of the @audubonsociety gallery. Head over to Marion Square this weekend to see all the cool wildlife and neat things. And if you are like us 8 years ago, walk by @mdumasandsons and accidentally buy one of the puppies in the window from @charlestonanimalsociety Best accident that ever happened. Cheers and have a great weekend !!!! #dailydoseofcharleston #sewe
Good morning from State and Chalmers!  This building is one of my favs.  It does a lot of things right but it it is also imperfect and quirky.  The proportion of the facade is 💯 Tall and skinny just looks good.  The aspect ratio of the facade is 2 to 1, which would be the height to width.  It has great balance, aka symmetry.  Each floor has a different window pattern which adds interest.  The stucco has that patina look that we all go gaga over.  Some of the quirks:  the 2nd floor window looks like it may have been a balcony at some point.  The front door seems too small and should be taller.  The proportion of the top window is wonky.  The banding at the 3rd floor line almost seems industrial.  But it still works.  It has character.  What do folks think?  #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from State and Chalmers! This building is one of my favs. It does a lot of things right but it it is also imperfect and quirky. The proportion of the facade is 💯 Tall and skinny just looks good. The aspect ratio of the facade is 2 to 1, which would be the height to width. It has great balance, aka symmetry. Each floor has a different window pattern which adds interest. The stucco has that patina look that we all go gaga over. Some of the quirks: the 2nd floor window looks like it may have been a balcony at some point. The front door seems too small and should be taller. The proportion of the top window is wonky. The banding at the 3rd floor line almost seems industrial. But it still works. It has character. What do folks think? #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from Charleston!  Ya know.....I don’t recall where I snapped this photo.  But I do recall loving this view.  Happy Valentine’s Day Y’all!  #singlehouseoftheday
Good morning from Charleston! Ya know.....I don’t recall where I snapped this photo. But I do recall loving this view. Happy Valentine’s Day Y’all! #singlehouseoftheday
Good morning from Broad Street!  This little guy is known as ‘Fast and French.’. The longer and much harder to pronounce name is Gaulart and Maticlet French Cafe.  I hadn’t stopped to look at this building before until last night when  I was down here with my @cpad12bull students.  About 20 minutes later we got caught in a crazy rain storm 😜 🌧..........but back to the building.  I am not a master of architectural styles but I might call this Greek Revival.  The pilasters on the corners and pediment look at the gable recalls a Greek Temple.  Thoughts?  One thing I can decipher is the form of the Charleston Single House.  If you look to the left you see a sliver of the  building that looks like it could have been a piazza (side porch). Maybe it was a piazza that was filled in at some point?  Because of that I am going to call it the #singlehouseoftheday
Good morning from Broad Street! This little guy is known as ‘Fast and French.’. The longer and much harder to pronounce name is Gaulart and Maticlet French Cafe. I hadn’t stopped to look at this building before until last night when I was down here with my @cpad12bull students. About 20 minutes later we got caught in a crazy rain storm 😜 🌧..........but back to the building. I am not a master of architectural styles but I might call this Greek Revival. The pilasters on the corners and pediment look at the gable recalls a Greek Temple. Thoughts? One thing I can decipher is the form of the Charleston Single House. If you look to the left you see a sliver of the building that looks like it could have been a piazza (side porch). Maybe it was a piazza that was filled in at some point? Because of that I am going to call it the #singlehouseoftheday
Good morning from Marion Square and the Hotel Bennett!  This brand new hotel is all everyone is talking about.  My favorite part of the exterior is this little bit here.  I love the large windows and especially love that they have this exterior seating area.  It is a great way to engage with Marion Square.  It reminds me of the great piazzas in Italy where the surrounding sidewalk cafes spill out into the space.  The roof deck at the top of the photo is another great way to connect.  I have not been inside yet.  Have you? #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from Marion Square and the Hotel Bennett! This brand new hotel is all everyone is talking about. My favorite part of the exterior is this little bit here. I love the large windows and especially love that they have this exterior seating area. It is a great way to engage with Marion Square. It reminds me of the great piazzas in Italy where the surrounding sidewalk cafes spill out into the space. The roof deck at the top of the photo is another great way to connect. I have not been inside yet. Have you? #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from King Street!  These are a couple pix from yesterday’s Second Sunday on King.  For those not familiar with Second Sunday’s, from 1-5pm, the city closes King Street from cars leaving it as a pedestrian paradise.  If someone were to ask me about Charleston’s best public space, I would say King Street.  A good urban street should feel like an outdoor room and that is definitely the case with King Street.  Question: should they close King Street off from cars more than just one Sunday per month?  Twice a month?  Four times?  Every day?  #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from King Street! These are a couple pix from yesterday’s Second Sunday on King. For those not familiar with Second Sunday’s, from 1-5pm, the city closes King Street from cars leaving it as a pedestrian paradise. If someone were to ask me about Charleston’s best public space, I would say King Street. A good urban street should feel like an outdoor room and that is definitely the case with King Street. Question: should they close King Street off from cars more than just one Sunday per month? Twice a month? Four times? Every day? #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from Archdale Street!  This #singlehouseoftheday is a big boy!  One of the tallest Charleston Single Houses you will find at 4 1/2 stories.  In Charleston we refer to a habitable attic as a 1/2 story.  Although it is hard to see from this angle there is a hip roof up there and we can guess it is habitable from the dormer window.  For scale purposes  look at the 2-story single house to the right.  This exhibits the versatility of the single house in that it can be scaled up or down.  This house has something that is now considered taboo.....can you guess?.........The piazza (side porch) has been filled in on floors 2 and 3.  Nowadays, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) will not let folks infill their piazzas.  Although this infill looks pretty good, this sort of thing runs contrary to the preservation mantra we embrace in the Holy City.  The piazza is the most defining feature of the Single House therefore it is critical that we save these gems. #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from Archdale Street! This #singlehouseoftheday is a big boy! One of the tallest Charleston Single Houses you will find at 4 1/2 stories. In Charleston we refer to a habitable attic as a 1/2 story. Although it is hard to see from this angle there is a hip roof up there and we can guess it is habitable from the dormer window. For scale purposes look at the 2-story single house to the right. This exhibits the versatility of the single house in that it can be scaled up or down. This house has something that is now considered taboo.....can you guess?.........The piazza (side porch) has been filled in on floors 2 and 3. Nowadays, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) will not let folks infill their piazzas. Although this infill looks pretty good, this sort of thing runs contrary to the preservation mantra we embrace in the Holy City. The piazza is the most defining feature of the Single House therefore it is critical that we save these gems. #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from Tradd Street!  Yesterday was a white house with a red door. Today is a white house with a pink door.  Or is it salmon?  Or Coral?  Whatever it is, it works.  You may be thinking, is this a Charleston Single House?  It does have a Piazza (side porch). But a single house is called a single house because it is a single room wide.  I have not been in this house but it is clearly more than a single room wide.  Likely 2.  Is it a double house?  Double houses typically are 2 rooms wide plus a hall that runs down the middle.  A double house would be 5 windows wide on the facade.  So not a double house.  So what is it?  #dailydoseofcharleston
Good morning from Tradd Street! Yesterday was a white house with a red door. Today is a white house with a pink door. Or is it salmon? Or Coral? Whatever it is, it works. You may be thinking, is this a Charleston Single House? It does have a Piazza (side porch). But a single house is called a single house because it is a single room wide. I have not been in this house but it is clearly more than a single room wide. Likely 2. Is it a double house? Double houses typically are 2 rooms wide plus a hall that runs down the middle. A double house would be 5 windows wide on the facade. So not a double house. So what is it? #dailydoseofcharleston

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