Rammed Earth Artisan’s Latest Project – Updated with Photos!
REA’s specialized rammed earth construction technique brought us to the Driftpile Cree Nation in Northern Alberta to create a feature wall for their Indigenous Healing Centre. The stunning accent greets you as you enter the spectacular building.
The feature wall itself is twenty-five feet long, seven feet tall, and curves through a forty-five-degree radius. The artistic possibilities with rammed earth construction allowed us to incorporate the red, orange, and yellow colours of the band’s official logo,
To accomplish the curved wall required developing specialized formwork prior to construction. This is the type of custom work Rammed Earth Artisan enjoys since we can create truly unique and eye-catching accents.
The location of this architectural concrete feature wall build combined with the winter season being in full effect added an element of intrigue to the project. Our crew braved 1000 kilometers of snow-covered and icy roads, as well as a seemingly never-ending stream of oncoming big rigs to reach the band on the southern shores of Lesser Slave Lake. With a heavily loaded truck and trailer, it was white knuckle driving for a considerable portion of the journey.
Despite the challenges in getting to the location, we knew this project was going to be something we could truly be proud of. Not only did we get to design and construct a rammed earth curved wall using our best techniques, we also had the opportunity to work with a local indigenous crew on their own territory. Being able to contribute to such a worthwhile development in their community was truly memorable.
One of the coolest aspects of the Driftpile Band project was the creative vision to not only match the colors of their logo, but to also tie the wall to the Earth itself in a unique way. The clients desired to include some of the actual soil from the homestead where their founding chief lived. A local contractor was tasked with the job of heading out to the homestead location with a pick and shovel to loosen the frozen ground and acquire a five-gallon pail of frozen clay.
After some specialized blending techniques, our team stylistically integrated the homestead soil into the wall. Instead of simply dispersing the soil throughout the wall, we chose to give it its own colour and placement, with the end result resembling a bird-like wisp pattern. We are exceptionally proud that REA could play a part in creating this symbolic representation of the band’s history and the land they call home.
The building itself is an amazing healing space and provides much-needed services for the community.