T3 Architecture revisits wood pisé, an ancestral technique

The pisé technique dates back to the Middle Ages and the 19th century in various regions of France, particularly in the Rhône-Alpes region. The method consists of placing earth in a 20-centimeter bed in benches, compacted by hand or with a pneumatic tamping machine. Cohesion is thus ensured solely by compacting the different gradations of the soil: "No water or binders are added. It's just a matter of compacting the soil over 20 cm. This technique is not feasible with all soils, but many allow it," explains Christophe Pinero, architect and co-founder of T3 Architecture.