Welcome to Shoalhaven Rammed Earth
The east coast partner of WA’s leading rammed earth contractor, Murchison Rammed Earth.
Shoalhaven Rammed Earth is passionate about creating sustainable buildings with a difference and has partnered with Murchison Rammed Earth to bring 30 years of experience in constructing quality homes, schools and commercial buildings to the east coast of Australia.
What is Rammed Earth?
Why Rammed Earth?
For as long as people have created shelter, earth has been a fundamental element of its design and composition. It is no surprise that this timeless medium has emerged once more as an imaginative, contemporary and sustainable building option.
As well as the beautiful and diverse range of earth-walled homes, monolithic stabilised earth has been used effectively in wineries, churches, universities, schools, factories, offices, hotels and hospitals.
Thermal Mass
The external walls of a rammed earth building provide excellent protection from extremes in hot and cold weather. The thermal mass helps to keep your home at a steady temperature through winter and summer without having to rely on air conditioning or heating.
Low Maintenance
Rammed Earth structures are extremely hardy and walls will last many years with little or no maintenance. Internal walls may require a sealer upon completion though external walls are generally left unpainted allowing the walls to breathe.
Fire & Pest Resistant
Rammed Earth walls are extremely fire resistant. It is an ideal material to use in a bush setting or fire prone area. As there is not timber or cavities in rammed earth walls, they are also completely pest proof. White ants and other pests are unable to penetrate the walls.
Very Durable
Rammed earth buildings are extremely durable, strong and weather resistant. They will stand up to our extreme Australian climate and will last a lifetime. Because of the density of the walls rammed earth buildings also provide extremely good sound insulation.
About Shoalhaven Rammed Earth
Alex grew up in a mudbrick house on a small bushland acreage in the Shoalhaven area of NSW. He watched the area evolve from natural places he would play as a child into new subdivisions and housing estates. Alex always knew he wanted to be a builder and since completing his carpentry apprenticeship in 2014 has had great experiences working on large modern seaside homes as well as award-winning earth buildings.
These experiences inspired Alex and motivated him to learn rammed earth construction. In January 2018 Alex reached out to Richard at Murchison Rammed Earth and spent a year working with him in remote jobs across WA. This year was full of the best kind of life experiences for Alex and gave him the drive to partner with Richard to create a company of his own, Shoalhaven Rammed Earth, to bring creative, high quality rammed earth construction to the east coast of Australia.
About Murchison Rammed Earth
Richard grew up in the Murchison region of WA, on a half a million acre sheep station. This freedom and isolation instilled in him a desire to create structures from the environment. When Richard travelled and worked in North America he learned to build log cabins and he loved the process of creating buildings from the natural materials that were available at hand.
Richards passion for building with natural materials continued on his return to Western Australia. The south west of WA was hotbed of rammed earth development in the late 70s and 80s and Richard learned and worked with Giles Hohnen who was a pioneer in rammed earth building in Australia. Now 27 years later Richard has built all over the state and still loves the properties and creativity that building with earth provides.
Murchison Rammed Earth Projects
How much does it cost?
The cost of building a home with rammed earth walls, is only around 3% more than building a home with a standard double brick and plaster construction.
The wall component of the average house comprises around 12-15% of the total build cost. In Western Australia the difference between using a 250mm thick double brick, faced one side/plastered one side and 300mm thick monolithic stabilised earth is around 3% of the overall build cost.
Our pricing system is open and straightforward. We quote for actual 'face square metres' of wall shown on the plan and our price includes all materials, equipment and labour.
If you like to get a quote on a building project, please call Alex on
0456930671 email Shoalhaven Rammed Earth at alex.g.hickson@gmail.com and we'll get in touch.
State wide service area
Shoalhaven Rammed Earth is located on the South Coast of NSW, though Alex will travel anywhere in NSW, VIC or QLD to help with your building project.