Project Description

This thesis tackles the topic of rammed earth construction in Ontario from two perspectives: looking at issues with the sustainability of modern rammed earth and the limitations created by local codes and standards in Ontario. These topics are explored through soil mapping; review of international codes and standards; material studies; and conversations with local experts (including a builder, an engineer, a consulting firm, and a policy analyst.) Throughout this research, I have found that the underlying issues preventing wider-scale adoption of rammed earth construction in Ontario are lack of awareness, lack of material lobbying, and lack of research and development funding. With this thesis, my aim is to compile the knowledge acquired from my explorations and propose a standard for Rammed Earth Construction in Ontario, as well as some speculative design ‘micro-interventions’, developed as model studies.