Luigi Rosselli, Building in Landscape, Building Integrated in Landscape, Rammed Earth Building, Western Australia Architecture, Rammed earth facade in sanding, iron rich sandy clay rammed earth wall

The Great Wall of WA

230 Metres of Rammed Earth Wall

The longest rammed earth wall in Australia and – probably – the southern hemisphere.

At 230 metres long, the rammed earth wall meanders along the edge of a sand dune and encloses twelve earth covered residences, created to provide short-term accommodation for a cattle station during mustering season. With their 450mm thick rammed earth facade and the sand dune to their rear and forming their roofs, the residences have the best thermal mass available, making them naturally cool in the subtropical climate.

The rammed earth wall (construction) is composed of the iron rich, sandy clay that is a dominant feature of the site, gravel obtained from the adjacent river and (bonded with) water from the local bore (hole).

The design of the accommodation represents a new approach to remote North Western Australia architecture, moving away from the sun baked, thin corrugated metal shelters to naturally cooled architectural earth formations.

Awads:
2016 UNESCO endorsed TERRA Award for Earthen Architecture, Winner, Collective Housing Category

2016 Archdaily, Building of The Year Award
Housing Category

2016 Architizer A+ Awards
Judges choice Award

2016 Australian Institute of Architects,
Western Australian Awards, Finalist

Location: North Western Australia
Design Architect: Luigi Rosselli
Project Architects: Kristina Sahlestrom, Edward Birch, David Mitchell
Interior Designer: Sarah Foletta
Builder: Jaxon Construction
Rammed Earth Contractor: Murchison Stabilised Earth Pty Ltd
Landscaping: Tim Davies Landscaping
Structural Consultant: Pritchard Francis
Environmental Consultant: Floyd Energy
Photography: Edward Birch

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