Rammed‑earth, recycled‑material homes
Wallmakers’ Indian house is getting attention for using rammed earth, recycled wood, coconut shells and ferrocement to cut costs and boost climate responsiveness — a neat case for low‑tech sustainable building (x.com). That push toward sustainable materials also shows up on the exhibition side: the Venice Biennale just revealed a renovated central pavilion emphasizing greener, retrofitted exhibition spaces (designboom.com).
Wallmakers’ Shoolagiri project, Chuzhi, is a subterranean two‑bedroom residence completed in 2022 that was carved into a steep rocky site at the edge of a gated community. (archdaily.com)) The building weaves a “Debris Wall” of salvaged elements and uses roughly 4,000 discarded plastic bottles formed into precast debris‑earth composite beams as part of its structural and sculptural logic. (designboom.com)) On related projects such as the Biju Mathew/Debris House, Wallmakers specify coconut shells as lightweight filler in concrete roof slabs and deploy ferrocement shell roofs to reduce material thickness and embodied energy. (archidiaries.com)) Founder Vinu Daniel trained with the Auroville Earth Institute and runs Wallmakers from Kochi with a stated practice of “using mud and waste,” regularly employing rammed earth foundations, CSEB or rammed‑earth walls, ferrocement shells and adaptive reuse of scrap wood and steel. (wallmakers.org)) La Biennale’s Central Pavilion at the Giardini underwent a 16‑month refurbishment (December 2024–March 2026) funded with roughly €31 million, completing just ahead of the 61st International Art Exhibition. (labiennale.org)) The renovation strips accumulated historical accretions to create neutral “white‑box” galleries with building services embedded inside walls and ceilings, adds a new ventilated, energy‑efficient roof, consolidates masonry with seismic upgrades and reconfigures about 3,500 m² of exhibition space. (designboom.com)) The refurbished pavilion is scheduled to host the Biennale’s main exhibition, In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, which opens to the public on 9 May 2026 (previews 6–8 May) and runs through 22 November 2026. (labiennale.org))
