The Great Wall of WA

The longest rammed earth wall in Australia and - probably - the southern hemisphere, has been selected as a finalist in the (Australian Institute of Architects) Western Australia architecture awards.
At 230 metres long, the rammed earth wall meanders along the edge of a sand dune and encloses twelve earth covered residences, created to provide short-term accommodation for a cattle station during mustering season.
The design of the accommodation represents a new approach to remote North Western Australia architecture, moving away from the sun baked, thin corrugated metal shelters to naturally cooled architectural earth formations.

The residences are stepped to maintain a level of privacy on each covered veranda. There are contiguous but are not internally linked. The rear walls of the residences are buried under the sand dune.

The pavilion at the top is the multi-functional hub, meeting room and chapel. The centrally located chapel also forms the apex of the sand hill. Originally conceived as an open structure, sliding curved glass windows were later added to provide protection from dust storms. The oval chapel overlooks a family cemetery and ghost and river gums that line the riverbank in the background. The roof is made from Cor-Ten steel sheets, forming an oblique cone and culminating with a skylight in the apex. The roof was fabricated off site and transported in two halves.
The northern end of the rammed earth wall tapers down to where an older building is used as a communal meeting and sitting area.

Shading system

Sustainable building materials

Smart design (passive design strategies)

Regional materials

Green or brown roofs