This film is the first part of Kaláka (2022), a documentary film that investigates the dynamics that emerge within the context of a rammedearth hut that was built during a couple of hot summer days in Nemesvámos, a small village lying near the northwest side of Lake Balaton. The building –initially intended as a toolshed– transforms into a living space as the people constructing it come to appreciate the physical work, mental effort and the time put into it.

The film is meant to act as a very loose guide to making traditional rammedearth structures, but with a focus on documenting the processual details that emerge from the materiality and sociality of the site. The traditional design features paired with the materiality lends itself to a very resilient structure that is durable when maintained and cared for, but which at the same time, has the ability to decompose fully back into the soil once its function is lost.

Rammedearth as a building material carries great potential as it is widely available, cost efficient and customizable. The thick walls provide insulation from extreme temperatures naturally, which is becoming an increasingly important factor in building to withstand climate change. The main challenge today in building rammed earth structures does not lie in the scarcity of tangible resources but rather in the knowledge and knowhow of building with soil. Furthermore, the communal systems of building rammedearth structures is becoming increasingly scarce, especially in the Global North. This film aims to therefore highlight the importance of community in this building method, which is an inextricable part of the building process.

#rammedearth #sustainability #tinyhouse

Read more about the project:
Website https://culturingcare.org/kalaka/
Instagram @culturingcare