Bear Ridge Commercial Building studio exterior built with stabilized Rammed Earth walls and black roofline.

The Bear Ridge Commercial Building

Modern Craftsmanship in Stabilized Rammed Earth

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

2019

Most commercial buildings feel temporary - metal shells or drywall boxes meant to be replaced in a few decades. The Bear Ridge Commercial Building was designed to be different: permanent, adaptable, and quietly beautiful.

This project consists of two structures in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains:

  • A 3,600 sq ft studio building

  • A 1,500 sq ft RV garage (so refined most people would call it a house rather than a garage)

Both buildings are crafted from 18-inch stabilized, insulated Rammed Earth walls, paired with black rooflines and trim. The roof profiles nod to a subtle Japanese aesthetic, with generous overhangs - four feet on the studio and three feet on the garage - to protect the Earth walls and create deep, welcoming shade.

Inside, all electrical service runs exposed rather than hidden inside conduit within the walls. That choice offers long-term flexibility: outlets and switches can shift as the building’s purpose evolves, without compromising the integrity of the Rammed Earth.

These structures show how commercial space can be practical yet timeless. Solid walls offer quiet and stable temperatures; thick mass protects from moisture and pests; and the restrained palette keeps focus on craft, proportion, and purpose.

  • Close-up of Rammed Earth exterior wall meeting black trim at roof edge.
  • Wide shot highlighting generous roof overhang protecting Rammed Earth walls.
  • Rear perspective showing studio Rammed Earth walls and shaded porch.
  • Bear Ridge rammed earth commercial building in the snow
  • Rammed Earth in a cold snowy blizzard
  • Bear Ridge commercial shop building on a dark foggy night
  • Worktable positioned beside smooth Rammed Earth wall.
  • Natural light casting soft shadows across studio Rammed Earth walls.
  • Landscape view of Bear Ridge buildings blending Rammed Earth construction with natural terrain.
  • Rammed Earth garage doors framed by smooth earthen walls and black fascia.
  • Inside view of the rammed earth garage
  • The rammed earth garage at night
  • Crew compacting soil lifts inside formwork for Bear Ridge Rammed Earth wall.
  • Forms aligned for stabilized Rammed Earth wall construction.
  • Freshly tamped layers visible in partially completed Rammed Earth wall.
  • Compaction team working on 18-inch stabilized Rammed Earth wall segment.
  • Early stage of RV garage walls with exposed Rammed Earth layers.
  • Close-up of tool smoothing surface of newly compacted Rammed Earth.
  • Walking the rammed earth wall under construction
  • lintels being installed on rammed earth walls
  • wood trusses being set on a rammed earth commercial building
  • A view through a window in a rammed earth building under construction

Let’s Build Something Solid

A great project starts with a good plan. Fill out the form below and let’s talk about how Rammed Earth can give your space strength, character, and lasting beauty.