- Azadeh Weber, who is 44 years old, resides in a countryside area of Washington, approximately 20 minutes away from the nearest supermarket.
- She constructed an additional dwelling unit as a greenhouse using rammed earth and intends to cultivate fruits and vegetables come springtime.
- She is enthusiastic about her family becoming more sustainable and self-reliant.
This essay, presented as told to the author, is based on a discussion with Azadeh Weber, aged 44, who constructed an accessory dwelling unit On her rural property near Spokane, Washington, the interview has been condensed for brevity and clarity.
My family and I relocated from San Francisco to Spokane, Washington, in 2022.
I am a clinical psychologist, and both my spouse and I possess the flexibility to work remotely. We aimed to reside in a place where we could purchase a bigger plot of land.
Our house is situated in a remote woodland region, with the nearest supermarket over 20 minutes away. Additionally, we find ourselves in an area where Uber won't pick us up.
Our residence spans approximately 9,000 square feet and includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms. We constructed an additional 200-square-foot living space known as an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, on our expansive 140-acre land in 2024.
We didn’t require an additional dwelling unit for more space. Rather, my spouse and I aimed to increase our family’s self-reliance by cultivating vegetables and fruits on our land.
Thus, we constructed a passive, solar, rammed-earth additional dwelling unit designed to serve as a greenhouse. This setup will enable us to cultivate food throughout the winter months in Spokane when daylight and temperature are diminished.
We allocated $40,000 for the greenhouse additional dwelling unit.
Rammed earth building It’s an age-old method boasting one of the smallest carbon footprints. This technique was utilized to construct landmarks such as the Great Wall of China and has also been applied in construction projects across the Middle East.
It's similar to adobe: you take soil, clay, and gravel and mix them together to form solid walls. Traditionally, the walls are held together with lime. However, our project used about 10% cement.
The technique of building with rammed earth is superior for cultivating crops compared to a conventional greenhouse due to its walls assisting in keeping a more consistent temperature.
We completed it approximately a year ago, with our last break occurring half a year back. The project saw many pauses, particularly throughout the snowy winter season.
The project was funded entirely through our own means. Altogether, we invested $40,000. Despite the significant effort involved, we're quite pleased with what we've accomplished. The additional dwelling unit exudes a contemporary vibe—I'm completely smitten with its appearance.
Building it was tough but worthwhile.
The inspiration for this project came from my father, who was an architect with expertise in passive solar design. During the 1970s, he was awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Energy to construct five such buildings. rammed earth Structures throughout Utah were where he cultivated fruits and vegetables.
He and my brother aided my husband and me during the ADU construction project. Additionally, we employed two contractors to help with the work. The total expenditure was around $25,000 for labor and $15,000 for materials.
We bought our supplies from a nearby shop, which included polycarbonate sheets, doors, Glauber’s salt, timber, cement, clay, gravel, dirt, PVC pipes, and paint. Some of the earth we utilized was taken from the area surrounding our house.
The construction process involved a lot of labor.
To build the walls of the ADU, we filled five-gallon buckets with material, mixed it with water in a mixer, poured it into the forms, and used a pneumatic tamper to compact it. After that, we let it set overnight. We repeated this process until we had enough material to form an entire wall.
The rammed earth walls are one foot thick. To optimize passive solar heating and cooling, the building features two north-south walls twice as long as the east and west walls, with a 10-inch gap between them. Beneath the footing, PVC pipes run between the walls and into the structure.
Holes at the top of the walls create a heat pump that circulates air to enhance passive solar heating. The ADU's roof is also covered with transparent polycarbonate sheets that allow sunlight to enter, while their double panels help retain heat.
During summertime, you can open the vents to let out hot air; however, during wintertime, you should shut them to ensure proper airflow. Additionally, we incorporated a Glauber’s salt reservoir into the ADU to help control temperatures between 40°F and 85°F indoors.
We are still in the process of developing the Glauber's salt system, with its installation taking place gradually in stages.
We'll begin growing food this spring
Our intention is to cultivate fruit trees and vegetables in the ADU this coming spring.
In the meantime, we're using the space as a yoga studio. I teach yoga online but don't make much from it. With childcare costs, having a dedicated space at home to teach online is incredibly helpful.
Beyond the practical uses of the ADU It has significantly boosted my self-assurance.
I'm from Iran, where rammed earth is an indigenous building method. This technique connected me to my roots and heritage and brought me closer to my identity.
The presence of the ADU has offered a chance to educate our children on cultivating food and understanding wellness, which is crucial as it enables us to lead more fulfilling lives and effectively achieve our objectives.
I don’t have significant regrets regarding the project, but I wish I had been more meticulous instead of improvising as we progressed. Were I to undertake this again, I’d aim to utilize more construction materials obtained directly from the site itself.
I'd suggest that anyone contemplating a rammed-earth construction should first try building a test wall or perhaps even a fire pit, since this technique can prove challenging.
Overall, my family is enjoying the ADU . We loved watching our vision come to life and anticipating reaping the fruits of our labor.
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