A Rammed-Earth Home in Napa Valley
(Page 2 of 4)
September/October 1999
By Laurel Lund
On hot days, whole-house ventilation and cooling is accomplished via exterior shutters, ceiling fans, and exterior shading from arbors of kiwi and grape. The pool’s alignment with the main house allows prevailing breezes from San Francisco Bay to skim its surface and deliver cool, moist air. The strip of irrigated lawn adjacent to the arbor provides evaporative cooling effects to help chill the thermal wall mass.
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Other eco-measures include lighting choices. Energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs are used in the kitchen and baths, while MR16 bulbs are used for task lighting elsewhere in the house.
A high-efficiency, natural-gas-fired water heater helps keep water usage to a minimum, as does the use of recycled household water to irrigate the orchard near the guest house.
Soil Selection
Even the floor plan of the Easton/Wright house was designed with sustainability in mind. “I wanted our home to look as though it has been standing here for generations, much like the homes in Provence and southern Italy where, as families grew in both size and prosperity, rooms were added to the main structure.” So Easton designed the main residence to appear as though its core had spawned a later master suite and kitchen.
The materials for the house originated in the couple’s own “backyard.” Literally. “All the earth we used consists of a byproduct from a nearby quarry,” says Easton, “an ideal blend of clay, sand, and small gravel. I feel lucky that it was appropriate for building because soil selection is critical to the success of any earth building project.”
Who should know better than Easton, who, after collaboration with rammed-earth specialists in France and Australia during the 1980s, drafted the first soil-content standards for engineered-earth construction.
“People usually think of rammed earth as just mud—a messy, primitive element that requires little skill to build with,” says Easton. “But proper soil preparation takes knowledge and experience. Not just any old mud will do.” He suggests that rammed-earth builders have their soil tested for suitability prior to construction. 18-inch-thick PISE walls are ideal for soaking up natural sunlight, storing heat during the day and releasing it at night.
Building a Dream
Easton and Wright worked together to build their dream home from the ground up, creating everything from the siting to the specifics. The specifics include lots of family space. Gourmet cook Cynthia wanted a large area in which to practice her culinary skills, so the couple created a 250-square-foot kitchen that opens onto a patio of equal size. Its walls showcase the rough, stucco-like texture of PISE, its rustic surface integrated with terra-cotta-tone plaster. Underfoot are one-and-one-half foot-thick poured soil-cement pavers—or “terra tiles”—grouted to resemble their commercial cousins.