Local earth.
New ground for building.
We turn excavated soil into rammed earth
for buildings, furniture and objects.
Back to earth.Explore our work
About
Local soil. Local possibilities.From excavation
to a local resource.
Aarde Collective develops rammed-earth applications from excavated soil. Our work connects soil sourcing, mixture development and testing with building elements, furniture and objects.
Starting in Rotterdam, we are exploring production at or near existing soil banks: places where excavated earth is already collected. Our aim is to adapt mixtures to local soil and connect that material with nearby projects, reducing the need to move heavy earth over long distances.
Vision
Hyperlocality — from earth, back to earth
Around 45 million tonnes of soil are excavated in the Netherlands every year. What if we saw this earth as a new resource?
We aim to connect the entire journey of earth within the local area: from classifying and analysing excavated soil to producing and supplying materials, and using them in architecture and furniture. We envision a cycle in which locally sourced earth finds a place in our everyday lives and returns to nature when its use comes to an end.
Team
Taehyun Kang
Master’s in Architecture, TU DelftShinwon Yun
Master’s in Architecture, TU DelftService
From excavated soil to built form
We develop rammed-earth walls and prefabricated elements from excavated soil. Pilot projects bring material research into construction, informing future applications in buildings, public spaces and small-scale infrastructure.
Earth at the scale of everyday life
We work with rammed earth in furniture and object design, including a plant pot. This work brings the material into smaller applications alongside our building-scale projects.
A mixture shaped by its source
We investigate local soil streams, develop and adjust mixtures, and test material behaviour. Our circular engineering consultancy explores how soil banks, municipalities and project teams can connect available soil with nearby construction needs.
Connecting soil, production and place
We design, plan and coordinate circular soil flows, production chains, supply networks and transport logistics for the processing and reuse of excavated soil in construction.
Projects (02)
From a greenhouse to a plant pot.News
Updates from the collective.Aarde Collective established a partnership with the Municipality of Rotterdam’s Grondbank.
PartnershipAarde Collective received a €2,500 BK-Launch Startup Voucher, supporting the Brienenoord greenhouse pilot.
Startup supportWe exhibited a full-scale (1:1) rammed-earth façade system mock-up at Future Facade in Utrecht.
ExhibitionLet’s work with earth.
A project. A material.
A place to begin.
Tell us about your building, object or available soil.
Let’s explore where rammed earth could fit.