Prev Next

How Adobe Construction Works

By: Linda C. Brinson  | 

Author's Note

Having traveled a good bit in the American Southwest, I was aware of the historic adobe buildings there, many of which have stood the test of time. As I researched adobe, I was not surprised to learn how widely this ancient method of construction has been used, but I was awed by the magnificence of some of the structures in Africa and the Mediterranean. The discovery that intrigued me most, however, was to learn that this time-honored method is having quite a revival in parts of the Southwest as a low-cost, earth-friendly, sustainable way for people to build their own homes or for volunteers to help build homes for others. The ancient people knew what they were doing!

Related Articles

Sources

  • Adobe Builder. "Southwest Solar Adobe School." (March 30, 2012) http://www.adobebuilder.com/southwest-solaradobe-school-1.html
  • Adobe in Action. "Adobe in Action." (March 29, 2012) http://www.adobeinaction.org/
  • Adobe Is Not Software. "Why Adobe." (March 29, 2012) http://adobeisnotsoftware.com/
  • Blondet, Marcial and Gladys Villa Carcia, M. "Adobe Construction." Catholic University of Peru. (March 30, 2012) http://www.world-housing.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Adobe_Blondet.pdf
  • MudCrafters Construction. "Adobe Brick House." (March 30, 2012) http://www.mudcrafters.com/ext/brick.html
  • National Park Service Technical Preservation Services. "Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings." (April 2, 2012) http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/brief05.htm
  • Northern New Mexico College. "Adobe Construction Program." (April 3, 2012) http://elrito.nnmc.edu/page/adobe-construction-program
  • Pat Friend's Real Adobe Brick Kit. "Adobe Q&A." (April 4, 2012) http://adobebrickkits.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6
  • Pat Friend's Real Adobe Brick Kit. "Build an Adobe Brick Model." (April 2, 2012) http://adobebrickkits.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
  • Sacred Destinations. "The Great Mosque, Djenné." (April 5, 2012) http://www.sacred-destinations.com/mali/great-mosque-of-djenne.htm
  • Santa Fe Unlimited. "The Historic Adobe Architecture of Santa Fe, New Mexico." (April 4, 2012) http://architecture-sf2.nm-unlimited.net/
  • Saudi Aramco World. "Djenné: Living Tradition."November-December 1990. (April 3, 2012) http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199006/djenn.-living.tradition.htm
  • Taos Inn. "Step into History." (April 5, 2012) http://www.taosinn.com/history.html

Advertisement