An eco lodge build with soil in South Africa

Our dream was to create an eco-lodge that was combining vernacular building techniques with a modern minimalistic design. Being in a World Heritage Site it was evident that we had to build in a more respectful manner. The lodge was therefore designed to blend and disappear in the surrounding nature. The ground carpet at the bottom of the hill was lifted a little, just enough to slide the house under it. Building with earth became obvious. It has been around for as long as mankind has been building. The soil that comes from the site requires no transport and no transformation. Thick earth walls take advantage of the large daily amplitude regulating temperature in summer as much as in winter, avoiding air conditioning. By removing cement or earth building we'll one day return to nature. A little like a sand castle erased by the tide. Created by old runes in the area and people across the world, our project became a lab for experimenting with different earth techniques. From stone and mud to rammed earth, compressed earth bricks, earth bags to straw and soil plaster. This combined with waste granite, scaffolding planks and homemade paint to name a few, has made for a raw and rich living environment. Another achievement was, I believe, our decision to build the house ourselves only with the help of a few unskilled labourers and in so doing teaching them the building techniques we wanted to implement. This took a little longer but had more benefits. We believe that through this project we demonstrated that building differently is possible, closer to nature, closer to the people, enriching both. We hope this will inspire others to do the same. you