Past and future of mud wall architecture

Abstract

Rammed earth is a constructive system that stands out due to its ecological advantages. This technique consists of pressing humid earth into a formwork in order to build sectional blocks for walls. It has been developed for centuries around the world. Recently, in several developed countries, there has been a revived interest on the recovery of this technique because of its low environmental impact and formal versatility. Nevertheless, historical examples in Mexico are very few compared to adobe and bajareque ones and even more unusual in contemporary buildings. This text has the purpose of increasing the available information and improving the evaluation of rammed earth buildings, a unique heritage that is also a source of knowledge for achieving sustainable architectural design.