STAMPFLEHM EFH, Altendorf, 2024-2025
Rammed earth, clay plaster, clay panels, planning & engineering and execution
Location: Lake Zurich, Switzerland
Built: 2024-2025
Material: rammed earth walls, insulating, base and finishing plaster made of clay
Partners: Architektur Bauleituung Roskothen Architekten SIA GMBH, civil engineer SEFORB, formwork construction Butti AG, Lehmwerk
Photos: LEHMAG, Julian Rickenbacher
NEW CONSTRUCTION RAMMED EARTH HOUSE
Since 2024, a single-family house has been under construction on Lake Zurich as a replacement building, which transfers traditional earth building techniques into a contemporary hybrid construction method. The exterior walls are made of excavated earth from the canton of Schwyz and are inserted directly into the formwork using the rammed earth method - protected by an exposed concrete base and a cantilevered canopy.
The rammed earth walls only absorb compressive forces, while any tensile forces are transferred from the roof to the foundations via integrated tie rods at the corners. The architectural design was created by ROSKOTHEN ARCHITEKTEN SIA GmbH, while SEFORB is responsible for the structural design. The project is being implemented in collaboration with LEHMAG, the earth building specialists. During the rammed earth work, BUTTI BAUUNTERNEHMUNG AG is responsible for formwork and crane work.
The central element of the building is the solid rammed earth walls, supplemented by clay-based insulating, base and finishing plasters. The earth building technique is embedded in a hybrid construction consisting of wood in the interior and roof and concrete in the plinth area. This cross-material construction method requires great precision in planning and execution - especially at the interfaces between the different building materials.
Construction started in summer 2024 and is scheduled for completion in 2025. The project is considered one of the latest innovative contributions to resource-saving construction methods in Switzerland. Load-bearing insitu rammed earth walls in outdoor areas are almost a novelty in this country - a construction method that was widespread before industrialization, but has largely been forgotten in the last 150 to 200 years.
With this building project, LEHMAG is bringing the historic building material clay back into the contemporary context of the 21st century - and sending a strong signal for sustainable building in Switzerland.
