This Ecuadorian home uses the natural elements of rammed earth as a foundation

Rammed earth is a building technique that uses packed raw materials from the earth like gravel, sand, silt or clay to build walls and foundations. Casa Lasso, designed by Rama Estudio in San Jose, Ecuador utilized the rammed earth approach (or “tapial”) to create five strong walls made of natural elements to both protect the home from strong winds and improve the thermal quality inside the home.

Much of the furniture and shelving in the kitchen and bedroom is built into the structured wall,...