Rammed Earth

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We only have a space for 20 participants at a time. For the participants who have opted for food and accommodation, it is three meals a day. Check-in from noon, a day before the workshop and check out before noon, a day after the workshop. Includes three meals a day on the days of the workshop. Simple shared rooms, with simple vegetarian meals.

In case you have any questions, please contact – Namrata Toraskar : 7022 160372 Varun Thautam 6361591177 – (9:00 am to 5:00 pm, weekdays only),

Refund policy:
We will not be able to refund your amount in case you cancel your registration. However, it is transferable or can be adjusted towards our next workshops. We need a minimum participation of 12/20, by 2 weeks before the workshop, to be viable.

Cost Rs 8000/- Includes food and accommodation. Cost Rs 6000/- Excludes food and accommodation.
Lunch, tea/coffee shall be provided on both days for all participants.

About the Event

History of Monolithic construction, aspects of design | History of rammed earth | Types of formworks and its relation to built form | Design guidelines | Structural design | Rammed earth foundations | Details of joints with various materials and components | Thermal properties, density, and thickness selection | Hygroscopic properties and humidity buffering potential | Costs and time | Codes of practice and normativity | Soil identification methods | Soil stabilization Methods | Selection of materials | Texture, porosity, and durability| Design of mixes – use of additives | Designs, and fabrication of modern formworks | Fabrication of rammers | Organization of site | Curing of rammed earth, precautions | Errors, and learning from personal and shared experiences | Rectification and maintenance.

PROGRAM for both days

09:00 > 09:45 – Theory sessions

09:45 > 10:00 – Tea break

10:00 > 13:00 – Hands on training / Theory sessions

13:00 > 14:00 – Lunch break, discussion

14:00 > 18:00 – Hands on training

18:00 > 19:00 – Q&A

About the Facilitator – Varun Thautam

I fell in love with Rammed Earth in 2008 at the Auroville Earth Institute, UNESCO Chair for Earthen Architecture, Asia. Our relationship deepened into a beautiful romance over the next years as I slowly got to understand her.  I had to present her to my parents to build their house with rammed earth. Looking at our deep relationship while building the first few test walls on their house, my parents approved our marriage. I later went on to build over 4 residential projects in the next years in India. One of them went on to win Indian Architect & Builders Young Architects Award in 2014.

I then traveled to Canada, at McGill University where I explored the methods of diffusion of Rammed earth and wrote a research paper on her greatest ex-lover, François Cointeraux (1740-1830). He had dedicated a full life to Rammed Earth, dedicating 4 books and various construction to her. I mainly focused on how he and other romantics before and after taught/diffused Rammed Earth. I traveled to learn from experts around the world, India, USA and Canada. I started traveling mainly to know her whereabouts: bringing me to Mexico in 2014 to look at the project of Mauricio Rocha (School of plastic arts, Oaxaca).

However, our relationship has since lost its strength, mainly because she has chosen lovers of the current age that are only appreciating her for her spectacular looks.  I have been a consultant to various architects and builders in Mexico and have organized several workshops on the same. This workshop is a personal attempt to rekindle our relationship and share my romance with you all. It has taken me more than a year to prepare for this new encounter.

See images of previous workshops on rammed earth here

If interested in organizing one, please contact Varun Thautam

Lime Washes – an introduction

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Lime washes depend on the ability to penetrate a rough surface and protect it, while adding a distinct identity, through the altering of textures and colors. Hydraulic lime when hydrolyzed lime (white) is the main ingredient. Impurities are added or natural pigments/oxides are added to give it its distinctive look.

Calcium reacts in the lime kiln with the clay minerals to produce silicates that enable some of the lime to set through hydration. Any unreacted calcium is slaked to calcium hydroxide which sets through carbonation. These are sometimes called ‘semi-hydraulic lime’ and include the classifications feebly and moderately hydraulic lime.

These watery paints when applied on a porous surface, penetrates and completes its hydraulic and carbonation reactions. In India, limewashes are typically re-applied once every few years, depending on the amount of weathering.  A hydaulic lime sets quickly, and needs a lot of water in the porous substrate for a good fix. Carbonation reactions depend on admixtures and exposure to the air for carbonation.

Modern limewashes are not restricted to only porous surfaces but also extend to non-porous surfaces. Using primers, acrylics and resin adhesives, limewashes have been adapted to be applied on exsting gypsum board, plywood, and even mdf.

There are many vendors around the world that supply paints under the banner of lime washes. Take a look at https://www.bauwerkcolour.com/en/environmentally-friendly-bedroom-paint/bedroom-paint-colours

Bauwek supplies lime paint for a diversity of applications, from exposed brick walls to plasterboard to painted surfaces. For all sealed surfaces, they recommend a primer coat before multiple layers of Bauwerk paint. Check out the pastel color palette by Bauwek – https://www.bauwerkcolour.com/en/colour-lab

In short, lime washes come in pale colors with higher value and lower saturation in the HSV color model. Pale tints of primary and secondary colors. They are often described as soothing, washed-out, milky, and soft because of their weak chromatic content. Some of the most commonly used pastel colors are off-white, peach, lavender, mint, baby blue, pink, and lavender.

Greek Cottage by Ryan Spencer
#CBE0F4 #9BC4E0 #E5E1EB #E3D7E6 #C7C9E0

Photography by Quentin Lagache
#E8ECEC #CADDE4 #A6C4D0 #88ACBC #EBDBD1

Northwest Washington by Erol Ahmed
#F7DFD6 #F0D1C3 #ECAE9B #CE755F #B7D1D5

La muralla Roja 2 by beasty .
#F4C5C9 #EFA5A8 #E496A0 #C36D78 #BE535D

Irsha Street by Fee Billen
#D6E5F1 #F9E8C7 #BAB4BD #E0C2D6 #D0CAA6

Pastel palettes might be soft and subtle but they can make a powerful impact on designs. Their dual personality brings the unique ability to soothe the viewer while still managing to maintain vibrancy and brightness. Limewash colors have a somewhat of a therapeutical and calming effect on your mind.

These soothing color combinations can simultaneously calm and also boost the viewer’s mood due to the serene setting they create. This way designs can impact the audience by creating a warm, energetic, and enthusiastic mood without exhaustion. Pastels easily remind of spring and summer, sweets and babies, and bring joy and optimism.

We at Vanamu, we are researching limewash techniques from around the world. We were first exposed to limewashes from the master Amel Kadic, at live projects of Varun Thautam in Mexico – see- http://www.varunthautam.com/2018/03/casa-daniel/.

The typical latin name for limewash – “Jablega”, is commonly applied on ultra rough surfaces of cob, adobe, stone, sillar, brick and daub.

<@shobhan insert images from Amels workshop at Casa Daniel>

A larger source of practical notes comes from the workshops attended with master Laurent Coquemont in Mexico.

<@shobhan insert images of limewash from Laurent coauemont>

We conduct hands-on workshops for multiple techniques with lime.

<@shobhan need images of limewashes on vanamu walls, tagging people>

Feel free to contact us for your next project, we will be happy to prepare samples, the limewash mix, ship it over, teach your local painter and publish your project!