This is not a wall

THE DIRT: Fall 2011 SIREWALL Newsletter

Built to meet discerning standards and withstand the elements in a range of climates, a SIREWALL can last thousands of years, virtually unaffected, even with everything surrounding it is in constant change. As an organization, the SIREWALL team is made up of passionate individuals who are unsatisfied with the status quo and want to see a real transformation in our built environment. We are ready for change. We are prepared to shake our foundation towards creating a movement with like-minded architects, builders and developers. Join us on this journey.

Learn about SIREWALL. Stay connected. Share ideas. Challenge the status quo.

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A Manifesto for Change

This is not a wall. It is a wake up call. An open fortress of tranquillity. A testament to the power of nature. An enduring record of what has been before and what will be again. It is a work of art. A thousand year legacy. A cornerstone of healthy living. It is at one with the earth. It is terra. It is firma. It is respect for a living planet. A barometer for an enlightened population. Sanctuary from the status quo. It is a breath of fresh air. It is not a wall.

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VanDusen Botanical Gardens features SIREWALL

City of Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden Centre Unveils SIREWALL

On October 29, 2011, the VanDusen Botanical Garden Centre was unveiled to a select group of architects, green builders, and developers, to get a sneak peak of this Busby Perkins + Will design, which aims to become Canada’s first Living Building. The inspiration behind the design of VanDusen’s new Visitor Centre was taken from its 55 acres of botanical gardens with the idea that the final structure would sit discreetly within its natural surroundings. The shape of the building was designed to replicate the leaves of an orchid with a stem located in the main atrium where visitors can take note of as they enter the lobby. SIREWALL was incorporated throughout the building’s interior and exterior as striking feature walls, anchoring the new centre.

“As a company committed to improving the quality and health of housing in North America, we are elated to have SIREWALL included in Canada’s first Living Building,” said Meror Krayenhoff, Founder of SIREWALL Inc. “It is our hope homeowners, and the local building community will embrace our vision of building healthy, energy-efficient, beautiful, durable homes and buildings.”

The years of planning that have gone into constructing VanDusen’s Visitor Centre is the reason why industry experts are calling the design state of the art. Participants in the project hope it will be the first of many Vancouver buildings to participate in the living building challenge as the city moves towards being the world’s greenest by 2020.

For more information on SIREWALL commercial and residential projects, visit our online portfolio.

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Choice and Cultivation

Sam Rodell, Principal, Kirkwood Rodell Architects, President Earthwall

To function, even at the most basic level, we must be selective in our interaction with our environment. We must filter the majority of the flood of potential information around us to perform any task – indeed, to complete any rational thought. To be selective about what we attend to is a fundamental reality of the human condition, occurring from our most incidental and fleeting moments to the most meaningful and far-reaching; the latter leads to cultivation.

At the beginning of an architectural project, I usually spend time with a client writing a brief – we call it a program – that documents what it is that our design work will be focusing on; although it is in part a list of objective requirements, constraints, etc., it is above all an effort to clarify the underlying seed crystal – the systemic motivation, the fundamental ‘mission statement’ – for what we will together be endeavoring to create. For me, this first step is crucial.

Read the full story here.

Sam Rodell quotes Kenneth Frampton: “Inasmuch as its continuity transcends mortality, building provides the basis for life and culture. In this sense, it is neither high art nor high technology. To the extent that it defies time, it is anachronistic by definition. Duration and durability are its ultimate values. In the last analysis it has nothing to do with immediacy and everything to do with the unsayable. What was it Luis Barragán said? “All architecture which does not express serenity fails in its spiritual mission.” The task of our time is to combine vitality with calm.”

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Introduction to Insulated Rammed Earth Course

SIREWALL System inventor Meror Krayenhoff hosts a transformational Introduction to Insulated Rammed Earth Course. Starting in 2012, SIREWALL courses will be offered in Vancouver and on Salt Spring Island, BC. Held over two days with an aim to inspire a new vision for the built environment, participants experience an introduction to rammed earth including:

• Feeling the comfort rammed earth when touring SIREWALL homes or projects
• Touching the types of soil required to analyze and choose the optimal blends
• Talking about a range of possibilities during ‘deep green conversations
• Exploring aspects of design and engineering
• Building rammed earth samples through a hands-on experience
• Learning how to participate in moving this technology forward.

The SIREWALL team has introduced the SIREWALL System for rammed earth construction to thousands of professionals and enthusiasts.

2012 Course Dates:

Vancouver:

• February 11 and 12
• May 5 and 6

Salt Spring Island

• April 28 and 29
• June 30 and July 1
• July 7 and 8
• September 8 and 9

Confirm your registration today and select your preferred course dates.

With its ecological and health benefits, combined with beauty and durability, SIREWALLS are ideal for commercial buildings and residential homes that will create a lasting legacy.

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SIREWALL In the News

Gulf Islands Driftwood, Green Building – SIREWALL Recognized for Innovation: at the recent 6th annual MISTIC Innovation Awards, SIREWALL Licensee Terra Firma Builders took home the prize for ‘Advanced Manufacturing’ for its SIREWALL technology.

Vancouver Sun, Rammed Earth walls earn firm top awards: SIREWALL founder Meror Krayenhoff and his journey towards creating walls worthy of the Living Building Challenge, working with the City of Vancouver’s newly-opened VanDusen Botanical Garden visitor centre. See the interview with Meror here.

Robb Report, Now and Zen: Described as ‘a very well-tailored surfer’s hut’, this story features a Honolua Bay, Maui home designed by Olson Kundig Architects built with SIREWALL rammed earth.