Rammed Earth Makes an Impression

The best thing about living in a resort town is the amazing amount of material there is to write about.  

The rammed earth wall at the visitor center at Nk’Mip Cultural Center in Osoyoos, BC, Canada always intrigues me.  The construction method is actually a revival of an age-old method used in regions where wood is scarce.  This structure rises over 18 feet high and curves over 262 feet and involves mixing concrete and soil to create beautiful natural colours that blend so well with the desert environment.  So unique is the Desert Centre that is was written up in the Architectural Digest.  

The First Nations invites visitors through these unique  doors into the theatre and exhibits that are housed behind the wall.  Beyond the displays of snakes and native history, the desert landscape opens to a walking trail with interpretive signs that allow you glimpses of the native habitat and wildlife.  Don’t worry, the guides do a regular walk to clear the path of any resident rattlesnakes who may decide to slither by!