Earth USA 2017

The Ninth Conference

Date: September 29, 30 and October 1, 2017
Location: Scottish Rite Center, Santa Fe, NM
Organizer: Adobe in Action

About Earth USA 2017

Earth USA 2017 was the Ninth International Conference on Architecture and Construction with Earthen Materials initiated by Adobe in Action.

The formal conference took place from Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 1, 2017 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. The conference was held in the Alhambra Theater of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Center (463 PASEO DE PERALTA SANTA FE, NM 87504). Earth USA 2017 indicated a wider field of interest than previous conferences and includes adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block (CEB) and monolithic adobe (cob). Any material or method that uses clay as a binder was considered.

Earth USA 2017 - Activities

Three days of podium presentations and poster sessions on topics related to the current state of architecture and construction with earthen materials (Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 1, 2017).
Friday evening Speaker Meet & Greet for all conference attendees sponsored by The Earthbuilders' Guild.
Tours to local earthbuilding sites of interest in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico on Sunday afternoon (October 1) and Monday, October 2, 2017.
Post-conference earthbuilding workshops are being planned by Adobe in Action for early and mid-October.

Earth USA 2017 - Tours

Sunday Afternoon Walking Tour of Santa Fe

Date: Sunday, October 1, 2017
Time: 2:00pm to 4:30pm
Tour Stops: various historic (primarily) adobe buildings in downtown Santa Fe
Starting/Ending Point: Scottish Rite Center
Tour Guide: Jake Barrow of Cornerstones Community Partnerships
Price: Free (but limited to 50 participants)
Route and Approximate Times:
2pm: walking tour group meets in front of the Scottish Rite Center
2 to 4:00pm: tour of various historic (primarily) adobe buildings in downtown Santa Fe with Cornerstone's Jake Barrow as tour guide (main focus will be on recent work done on the San Miguel Mission)
4 to 4:30pm: walk back to Scottish Rite Center or enjoy a refreshment with the group at a Santa Fe restaurant or bar (self pay)

Full Day Monday Bus Tour

Date: Monday, October 2, 2017
Times: 8am to 8pm
Tour Stops: a new construction adobe house project in Santa Fe, Fort Union National Monument, an adobe church restoration project in Mora County, drive back to Santa Fe with possible short stops in the villages of Tres Ritos, Vadito, Peñasco, Chamisal, Trampas, Truchas and Chimayo
Starting/Ending Point: Scottish Rite Center, Santa Fe, NM
Tour Guides: Quentin Wilson, Jake Barrow and others
Price: $125 per person (includes round trip bus transportation, all admission fees, soft drinks & snacks, a packed lunch and dinner at Rancho de Chimayo at the end of the tour)

Earth USA 2017 - Conference Schedule

Friday, September 29, 2017

9:00 AM
Registration and check
9:00 - 9:45 AM
Welcome Coffee in Scottish Rite Ballroom & Courtyard
10:00 - 10:20 AM
Podium Welcome by Quentin Wilson
10:20 - 10:40 AM
Podium Presentation: HOW EARTH CAN RESIST EARTHQUAKES: WITH BAGS, WIRE, AND A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE
Author: Patti Stouter (Placitas, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: BuildSimple.org
10:40 - 11:00 AM
Podium Presentation: MASTER PLAN FOR PRESERVATION OF THE MISSION SOLEDED SITE AND STRUCTURES
Authors: Daryl Allen, Preservation Specialist, Gil Sanchez, FAIA (E), Cesar Medina, Architect (Scotts Valley, CA, USA)
11:00 - 11:20 AM
Podium Presentation: SUSTAINABILITY OF EARTH BUILDING MATERIALS - ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF COMPETITION IN
BUILDING MATERIAL INDUSTRY
Authors: Horst Schroeder, Manfred Lemke (Weimar, Germany)
Institutional Affiliation: Dachverband Lehm e.V.
11:20 - 11:40 AM
Podium Presentation: ADOBE DYNAMICS 101 - EXPANDED
Authors: Pat Taylor, Eric Liefeld (Mesilla, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Pat Taylor, Inc. and Mesilla Valley Preservation, Inc.
11:40 - 1:30 PM
Lunch Break
1:40 - 2:00 PM
Podium Presentation: HEMP FIBER EARTH BLOCKS
Author: Arnold A. Valdez (San Luis, CO, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Rezolana Institute
2:00 - 2:20 PM
Podium Presentation: MARFA AND ITS ARCHITECTURAL CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Authors: Joey Benton, Pat Taylor (Mesilla, NM, USA)
2:20 - 2:40 PM
Podium Presentation: MUD ON THE OLDEST CHURCH IN THE US, MAINTAINING EARTHEN RENDER ON SAN MIGUEL
Author: Jake Barrow (Santa Fe, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Cornerstones Community Partnerships
2:40 - 3:00 PM
Podium Presentation: INTEGRATING EARTHEN BUILDING MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES IN THE MAINSTREAM OF HOUSING PROJECTS THROUGHOUT DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND COMMISSIONING STAGES.
Authors: Lola Ben-Alon, Vivian Loftness (Pittsburgh, PA, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University
3:00 - 3:20 PM
Podium Presentation: ENERGY USE OF A COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK HOUSE COMPARED TO A TRADITIONALLY FRAMED HOUSE
Author: Lisa Holliday (Oklahoma City, OK, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: University of Oklahoma
3:20 - 4:20 PM
Friday PM Poster Session + Coffee Break in Scottish Rite Ballroom & Courtyard
Poster Presentation: GREEN INSULATION MATERIAL
Author: Deniz Berdine (Cedar Crest, NM, USA)
Poster Presentation: VARIABILITY OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS OF COMPRESSED AND STABILIZED EARTH BLOCKS
Authors: Erika L. Rengifo-López, Nitin Kumar, Fabio Matta, Michele Barbato (Columbia, SC, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: University of South Carolina
Poster Presentation: ENZYME AND POLYMER CONTRIBUTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ADOBE MATERIALS
Author: Seyhan YARDIMLI, Bilge ISIK, Koray ARSLAN, Melih SAMURKAS (Istanbul, Turkey)
Institutional Affiliation: Istanbul Aydin University, Faculty of Architecture and Design
Poster Presentation: HOW EARTH CAN RESIST EARTHQUAKES: WITH BAGS, WIRE, AND A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE
Author: Patti Stouter (Placitas, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: BuildSimple.org
4:20 - 4:40 PM
Podium Presentation: ADOBES IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA: FROM THE SOIL THEY HOUSE
Author: Kirk Higbee (Phoenix, AZ, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Arizona State University
4:40 - 5:00 PM
Podium Presentation: THE LIFE OF EARTH
Authors: Beverly Donoghue, Michael Donoghue (Austin, TX, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Earthen Construction Initiative
5:00 - 5:20 PM
Podium Presentation: HIGH SPEED ADOBE CONSTRUCTION
Author: Quentin Chase Wilson (La Madera, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Adobe in Action; The Earthbuilders Guild; Northern New Mexico College
5:20 - 6:00 PM
Roundtable Discussion: WE'VE GOT THE SOIL; WE’VE GOT THE CLAY; WHAT ABOUT THE BINDER? CONSIDERING A NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE PROMOTION AND PRESERVATION OF EARTH BUILDING ARCHITECTURE IN THE UNITED STATES
Author: Mark A. Zaineddin (with roundtable participants Quentin Wilson, Stephen Colley, Kirk Higbee, Ben Loescher)
Institutional Affiliation: Adobe in Action
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Friday Evening Reception in Scottish Rite Ballroom & Courtyard for all registered attendees sponsored by The Earthbuilders' Guild

Saturday, September 30, 2017

9:00 AM
Registration and check-in
9:00 - 9:45 AM
Saturday AM Poster Session + Welcome Coffee in Scottish Rite Ballroom & Courtyard
Poster Presentation: COMPRESSED AND STABILIZED EARTH BLOCKS IN LOUISIANA
Authors: Nitin Kumar, Michele Barbato (Baton Rouge, LA, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Louisiana State University
Poster Presentation: DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE IN UAE DESERT
Author: Amer Rghei Ph.D (Waterloo); M.Arch (McGill) CANADA (Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates)
Institutional Affiliation: American University of Ras Al Khaimah
Poster Presentation: DESIGN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER AND HOUSES IN SHAFEE ABAD VILLAGE BASED ON VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN DESERT
Author: Elaheh Azarnoush (Kerman, Iran)
10:00 - 10:20 AM
Podium Presentation: STEPPING TOWARD AN EARTHEN FLOOR STANDARD – NOTES FROM EARTHENABLE RWANDA
Authors: Chris Rollins, PE (Ruhengeri, Rwanda); Gayatri Datar, MBA, MPA/ID (Kigali, Rwanda); Rebecca Wentworth, EIT; Bruce King, PE
Institutional Affiliation: EarthEnable Rwanda
10:20 - 10:40 AM
Podium Presentation: A FIELD KIT AND METHODOLOGY FOR DETECTING AND MEASURING SALTS IN ADOBE
Authors: Eric Liefeld, Dr. David Rockstraw, PhD. P.E.
Institutional Affiliation: Mesilla Valley Preservation, Inc. and New Mexico State University
10:40 - 11:00 AM
Podium Presentation: DEMYSTIFYING CODE DEVELOPMENT FOR EARTHEN CONSTRUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: K. Ben Loescher, AIA, Anne Galer, The Earthbuilders' Guild (Albuquerque, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: The Earthbuilders' Guild
11:00 - 11:20 AM
Podium Presentation: ADDRESSING THE CHRONIC HOUSING SHORTAGE ON PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION WITH COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS
Author: Adelle McDaniel (Fort Collins, CO, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Trees, Water & People
11:20 - 11:40 AM
Podium Presentation: "EARTHEN CONSTRUCTIONS DO NOT INSULATE!"
Author: Hauke Haupts (Trondheim, Norway)
Institutional Affiliation: Trøndelag County Authority, cultural heritage management and protection
11:40 - 12:00 NOON
Tribute: Dr. Charles W. Graham & John J. Morony
Presenters: Lisa Holliday & James Hallock
12:00 - 1:30 PM
Lunch Break
1:40pm - 2:00 PM
Podium Presentation: ADOBE BUILDINGS IN CALIFORNIA: A CASE STUDY IN SEISMIC STABILIZATION OF THE CASTRO ADOBE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Authors: Jessica Kusz, Anthony Crosby (Santa Cruz, CA, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
2:00 - 2:20 PM
Podium Presentation: EARTH-SHOT TECHNOLOGY FOR GLOBAL ENERGY SAVINGS
Author: Bilge IŞIK, Prof Dr (Istanbul, Turkey)
Institutional Affiliation: Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Turkey
2:20 - 2:40 PM
Podium Presentation: ADVOCATING THE USE OF VAULTS AS AN ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE - THE MEXICAN VAULT MADE WITH CESB AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL CONCRETE SLABS
Authors: Guillermo Vazquez Guillamet, Gabriel Barbeta I Sola (Barcelona, Spain)
Institutional Affiliation: Universitat de Girona, Spain
2:40 - 3:00 PM
Podium Presentation: DEVELOPING A MODEL FOR IMPROVING HOUSING CONDITIONS IN URBAN SLUMS IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF FIVE SELECTED SLUM
NEIGHBOURHOODS IN UMUAHIA
Authors: Ben Iwuagwu and Ikechukwu Onyegiri (Aba, Nigeria)
Institutional Affiliation: Department of Architecture, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba
3:00 - 3:20 PM
Podium Presentation: EVALUATION OF A ROPE MESH REINFORCEMENT FOR EARTHEN CONSTRUCTIONS IN SEISMIC AREAS
Authors: Marcial Blondet, Nicola Tarque and Julio Vargas-Neumann (Lima, Peru)
Institutional Affiliation: Pontiﬁcal Catholic University of Peru
3:20 - 3:40 PM
Tribute: Dr. Fred Webster
Presenters: Pat Taylor & Bill Druc
3:40 - 4:20 PM
Saturday PM Poster Session + Coffee Break in Scottish Rite Ballroom & Courtyard
Poster Presentation: ADVOCATING THE USE OF VAULTS AS AN ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE - THE MEXICAN VAULT MADE WITH CESB AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL CONCRETE SLABS
Authors: Guillermo Vazquez Guillamet, Gabriel Barbeta I Sola (Barcelona, Spain)
Institutional Affiliation: Universitat de Girona, Spain
Poster Presentation: EFFECT OF MOISTURE ON THE OUT-OF-PLANE LATERAL STRENGTH OF RESIDENTIAL ADOBE MASONRY WALLS
Authors: Umaima Al Aqtash, Paola Bandini, and Sonya Cooper
Institutional Affiliation: Hashemite University (Amman, Jordan)
Poster Presentation: EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF SMALL-SCALE ADOBE WALLS UNDER LATERAL LOADING
Authors: Eduardo Davila, Diego Garcia Vera, Tsegaye Gebremariam, Paola Bandini, Michael J. McGinnis, Brad D. Weldon (Las Cruces, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: New Mexico State University
Poster Presentation: SALT MIGRATION RATES IN ADOBE WALLS CONSTRUCTED OF MESILLA VALLEY SOILS
Authors: David Rockstraw, Pat Taylor, Eric Liefeld (Mesilla, NM, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Mesilla Valley Preservation, Inc.
4:15 PM
Alhambra Theater opens to general public for Keynote Presentation
4:20 - 5:00 PM
Keynote Presentation: EARTH IS THE OLD NEW CONCRETE
Author: Bruce King PE (San Rafael, CA)
Institutional Affiliation: Ecological Building Network

Sunday, October 1, 2017

9:00 AM
Registration and check-in
9:00 - 9:45 AM
Sunday AM Poster Session + Welcome Coffee in Scottish Rite Ballroom & Courtyard
Poster Presentation: COB TECHNICAL WHITE PAPER
Author: John Fordice
Institutional Affiliation: Cob Research Institute
Poster Presentation: REDRESSING EARTH BUILDING ADAPTATION IN NIGERIA: A POST USES EVALUATIVE STUDY OF COMPRESSED EARTH BUILDING LOW-COST HOUSING PROJECT IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA. THE AVU- OWERRI REDEMPTION HOUSING EXPERIENCE.
Authors: Ben Iwuagwu and Ikechukwu Onyegiri (Aba, Nigeria)
Institutional Affiliation: Department of Architecture, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba
Poster Presentation: COMPREHENSIVE EARTH-BUILDING PRACTICES AND A POSSIBLE FUTURE VISION
Author: Paul Schwam (Tucson, AZ, USA)
10:00 - 10:20 AM
Podium Presentation: COMMUNITY INNOVATION THROUGH STABILIZED COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK CONSTRUCTION IN RURAL HAITI
Authors: Michael Neumann and James Hallock (Pittsburgh, PA, USA)
Institutional Affiliation: Partners in Progress and Earthblock International
10:20 - 10:40 PM
Podium Presentation: REGENERATIVE IMPACT PROJECTS, -THE POWER OF ARCHITECTURE AS A GAME CHANGING TOOL-
Author: Juan M Casillas Pintor (Mexico)
Institutional Affiliation: Universidad Iberoamericana cdmx
10:40 - 11:00 AM
Podium Presentation: ESTABLISHING A CEB AND ADOBE PRODUCTION YARD NEAR DENVER, COLORADO
Authors: Lisa Schroder, Jim Hallock (Arvada, CO, USA)
11:00 - 11:20 AM
Podium Presentation: RECONSTRUCTION OF TIMBUKTU EARTHEN HERITAGE
Author: Ali Ould Sidi (Mali)
Institutional Affiliation: Mali Ministry of Culture
11:20 - 12:00
Conference Closing and Final Wrap: Quentin Wilson
12:00 - 1:30 PM
Lunch Break
2:00 - 4:30 PM
Sunday Afternoon Walking Tour of Santa Fe

Monday, October 2, 2017

8:00 - 8:00 PM
Full Day Monday Bus Tour