One of my first construction jobs was on this project in central London. I was part of a team of 5 involved in the creation of a rammed earth external wall of the new Eco Centre in Holland Park. Rowland Keeble of Rammed Earth Consulting headed up the project but the construction was undertaken by Jason Hawkes, Dhanya Prem, Ben Rogers, Llewellen Jones and myself.
Holland Park Eco Centre: 'Built over 10 days in the grips of sub zero temperatures the materials were brought in prepared to the site in bulk bags. The team had to batch load into a mixer with water to get the moisture content right, then bucket and barrow to the formwork. The material was a grey brick clay mixed with 'twenty to dust', a red crushed limestone. We had to make the decision over how much equipment to use and how much labour, it's not a very big job but still 50 tonnes. The site was also not that big and the cost of a front end loader and driver with a ticket to drive it all had to be taken into consideration. Rammed earth can lend itself to many situations but these questions of what materials, what labour, what equipment and what plant need thinking through each time. In central London labour is expensive, but highly flexible, in a more rural site labour may be cheaper but can it compete with a digger and driver?'
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| That's me (top left) |
