RAMMED EARTH - YERCAUD

Held on the hillside site of Venil Farms in Yercaud, this workshop introduced participants to rammed earth built entirely from soil dug on site. The land offered two distinct soils — a red and a yellow — and the sessions began with understanding them: how each behaved, how much moisture they needed, and how they could be layered to produce the banding that now runs through the finished walls.
Participants worked through the full sequence — preparing and testing the mix, setting up formwork, and ramming in courses to the right compaction. Each of them made their own sample block, experimenting with the two colours and the rhythm of the layers. The group was kept small, around eight, so everyone worked hands-on through every stage rather than watching.