My exposure to
adobe construction prior to building this house was minimal.
We recommend that the batch recipes and results from this study be used only as a starting point for actual
adobe construction composition.
Although adobe is still used to build homes throughout Latin America, China, and Africa,
adobe construction in America has nearly vanished in favor of cement, drywall, and two-by-fours.
Performance of traditional
adobe construction during numerous Iranian earthquakes has generally been poor as reported by many researchers after assessing the post earthquake damages.
Adobe construction consists of air-dried earthen blocks laid like bricks with a mud mortar.
On the other hand, the most important feature of
adobe construction is their ability to breathe.
That same ethic led them to explore solar heating, solar cookers, wind and hydro electric generators, water filtration, composting toilets, straw bale and
adobe construction. There were many less popular attempts made in the same spirit of change.
After a brief look at adobe's history, the book surveys adobe's advantages as a building material, illustrates
adobe construction techniques with b&w photos and construction drawings, and explains facts and myths of energy conservation with adobe.
The park boasts 11 handsomely restored structures that show off Monterey colonial architecture, the style incorporating wooden balconies that became a popular element in
adobe construction. You can tour the 1829 Cooper-Molera Adobe, with its extensive grounds, or watch a weekend melodrama in the 1848 First Theatre (for showtimes, call 408/375-4916).
La Madera, a wood-products cooperative in northern New Mexico, produces latillas, vigas, and kiva ladders for the specialized Santa Fe
adobe construction market.
While
adobe construction is labor-intensive, a skilled building team can move remarkably quickly.