Honorary Professor Rowland Keable, UNESCO Chair on Earthen Architecture
Director Rammed Earth Consulting CIC and Earth Building UK and Ireland Project Officer
Rowland has worked with rammed earth technology since 1985. This includes building as part of Passivhaus projects such as UK local authority classrooms where thermal and humidity loads are more of an issue than some domestic situations. Acting as consultants in each case the work was carried out by non-earth specialist designers and contractors.
Rowland is also involved in writing construction codes and standards both in the UK and abroad, with a strong interest in Africa. After the 15 countries of SADC voted to harmonise ‘Rammed Earth Code of Practice’ the African Regional Standards Organisation have harmonised the standard across the whole African continent.
Rowland was an active member of a group working on a European wide skills training standard to complement work already completed on training standards for earth plasters. Through his participation this lead to the publishing of UK standard training documents for earth building and plasters.
Rowland continues to pursue standards harmonisation with the national body British Standards in the pursuit of a first Euro norm for earth building.
Work in standards is another facet of a career which has involved building, teaching, training, researching, publishing and taking a ‘by all necessary means’ approach to acceptance and use of earth as a building material.