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