Lyon Metropolitan Area and the Rural Hinterland: Pisé Decoré and Pisé Préfabriqué

In the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, rammed earth is quite a common construction technique. During a trip in 2019, we were able to document earthen dwellings, barns, and dovecotes as well as contemporary pisé buildings in the Lyon metropolitan area and rural hinterland. This article reports on a trip in search of François Cointeraux’s Pisé Decoré buildings, as well as an encounter with Nicolas Meunier and his Pisé Préfabriqué technique applied to recent public buildings in the Lyon metropolitan area.